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How to be a Yogi 



Vedanta Philosophy 



How to be a Yogi 



By 

Swami Abhedananda 



Published by 

The Vedanta Society 

New York^ 



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(A 



0^^ 



:5>^'^^ 



rTHeTLlBRARY OF 
\ CONGRESS, 

Two Copiee Received 

AUG. I 1902 

COPVRIQHT ENTBV 

C'-/ss^XXa No, 
COPY B. 



Copyright, igoa, 



SWAMI ABHEDANANDA 



LC Control Number 




tmp96 025792 

KOBERT DRUMMOND, PRINTER, NEW YORK 



Preface 

~^ The Vedanta Philosophy includes the 

different branches of the Science of Yoga. 
Four of these have already been treated at 
length by the Swami Vivekananda in his 
works on " Raja Yoga," " Karma Yoga," 
" Bhakti Yoga," and " Jnana Yoga " ; but 
there existed no short and consecutive sur- 
vey of the science as a whole. It is to meet 
this need that the present volume has been 
written. In an introductory chapter are set 
forth the true province of religion and the 
full significance of the word " spirituality " 
as it is understood in India. Next follows 
a comprehensive definition of the term 
" Yoga," with short chapters on each of 



Preface 

the five paths to which it is applied, and 
their respective practices. An exhaustive 
exposition of the Science of Breathing and 
its bearing on the highest spiritual develop- 
ment shows the fundamental physiological 
principles on which the whole training of 
Yoga is based ; while a concluding chapter, 
under the title "Was Christ a Yogi?" 
makes plain the direct relation existing 
between the lofty teachings of Vedanta 
and the religious faiths of the West. An 
effort has been made, so far as possible, to 
keep the text free from technical and San- 
skrit terms; and the work should there- 
fore prove of equal value to the student of 
Oriental thought and to the general reader 
as yet unfamiliar with this, one of the 
greatest philosophical systems of the 
world. 

The Editor. 
6 



Contents 

I. INTRODUCTORY ii 

II. WHAT IS YOGA? 27 

1. Hatha Yoga 43 

2. Raja Yoga 63 

3. Karma Yoga 82 

4. Bhakti Yoga 94 

5. Jnana Yoga 106 

III. SCIENCE OF BREATHING 125 

IV. WAS CHRIST A YOGI ? 163 



Introductory 



Introductory 



True religion is extremely practical; it 
is, indeed, based entirely upon practice, 
and not upon theory or speculation of any 
kind, for religion begins only where theory 
ends. Its object is to mould the character, 
unfold the divine nature of the soul, and 
make it possible to live on the spiritual 
plane, its ideal being the realization of 
Absolute Truth and the manifestation of 
Divinity In the actions of the daily life. 

Spirituality does not depend upon the 
reading of Scriptures, or upon learned in- 
terpretations of Sacred Books, or upon fine 
theological discussions, but upon the reali- 
zation of unchangeable Truth. In India 
11 



How to be a Yogi 

a man is called truly spiritual or religious 
not because he has written some book, not 
because he possesses the gift of oratory 
and can preach eloquent sermons, but be- 
cause he expresses divine powers through 
his words and deeds. A thoroughly illiter- 
ate man can attain to the highest state of 
spiritual perfection without going to any 
school or university, and without reading 
any Scripture, if he can conquer his animal 
nature by realizing his true Self and its 
relation to the universal Spirit; or, in other 
words, if he can attain to the knowledge of 
that Truth which dwells within him, and 
which is the same as the Infinite Source of 
existence, intelligence, and bliss. He who 
has mastered all the Scriptures, philoso- 
phies, and sciences, may be regarded by 
society as an intellectual giant; yet he 
cannot be equal to that unlettered man 

who, having realized the eternal Truth, has 
12 



Introductory 

become one with it, who sees God every- 
where, and who Hves on this earth as an 
emibodiment of Divinity. 

The writer had the good fortune to be 
acquainted with such a divine man in In- 
dia. His name was Ramakrishna. He 
never went to any school, neither had he 
read any of the Scriptures, philosophies, or 
scientific treatises of the world, yet he 
had reached perfection by realizing God 
through the practice of Yoga. Hun- 
dreds of men and women came to see 
him and were spiritually awakened and 
uplifted by the divine powers which 
this illiterate man possessed. To-day 
he is revered and worshipped by thou- 
sands all over India as is Jesus the Christ 
in Christendom. He could expound with 
extraordinary clearness the subtlest prob- 
lems of philosophy or of science, and 

answer the most intricate questions of 
13 



How to be a Yogi 

clever theologians in such a masterly way 
as to dispel all doubts concerning the mat- 
ter in hand. How could he do this with- 
out reading books? By his wonderful in- 
sight into the true nature of things, and by 
that Yoga power which made him directly 
perceive things which cannot be revealed 
by the senses. His spiritual eyes were 
open; his sight could penetrate through 
the thick veil of ignorance that hangs be- 
fore the vision of ordinary mortals, and 
which prevents them from knowing that 
which exists beyond the range of sense 
perception. 

These powers begin to manifest in the 
soul that is awakened to the ultimate 
Reality of the universe. It is then that 
the sixth sense of direct perception of 
higher truths develops and frees it from 
dependence upon the sense powers. This 

sixth sense or spiritual eye is latent in each 
14 



Introductory 

individual, but it opens in a few only among 
millions, and they are known as Yogis. 
With the vast majority it is in a rudimen- 
tary state, covered by a thick veil. When, 
however, through the practice of Yoga it 
unfolds in a man, he becomes conscious of 
the higher invisible realms and of every- 
thing that exists on the soul plane. What- 
ever he says harmonizes with the sayings 
and writings of all the great Seers of Truth 
of every age and clime. He does not study 
books; he has no need to do so, for he 
knows all that the human intellect can con- 
ceive. He can grasp the purport of a book 
without reading its text; he also under- 
stands how much the human mind can ex- 
press through words, and he is familiar 
with that which is beyond thoughts and 
which consequentlycan never be expressed 
by words. 

Before arriving at such spiritual illu- 
15 



How to be a Yogi 

mination he goes through divers stages of 
mental and spiritual evolution, and in con- 
sequence knows all that can be experienced 
by a human intellect. He does not, how- 
ever, care to remain confined within the 
limit of sense perception, and is not con- 
tented with the intellectual apprehension of 
relative reality, but his sole aim is to enter 
into the realm of the Absolute, which is the 
beginning and end of phenomenal objects 
and of relative knowledge. Thus striving 
for the realization of the highest, he does 
not fail to collect all relative knowledge 
pertaining to the world of phenomena that 
comes in his way, as he marches on toward 
his destination, the unfoldment of his true 
Self. 

Our true Self is all-knowing by its 
nature. It is the source of infinite knowl- 
edge within us. Being bound by the limi- 
tations of time, space, and causation, we 
16 



Introductory 

cannot express all the powers that we pos- 
sess in reality. The higher we rise above 
these limiting conditions, the more we can 
manifest the divine qualities of omniscience 
and omnipotence. If, on the contrary, we 
keep our minds fixed upon phenomena and 
devote the whole of our energy to acquir- 
ing knowledge dependent entirely upon 
sense perceptions, shall we ever reach the 
end of phenomenal knowledge, shall we 
ever be able to know^ the real nature of the 
things of this universe? No; because the 
senses cannot lead us beyond the super- 
ficial appearance of sense objects. In or- 
der to go deeper in the realm of the invis- 
ible we invent instruments, and with their 
help we are able to penetrate a little fur- 
ther; but these instruments, again, have 
their limit. After using one kind of instru- 
ment, we become dissatisfied with the re- 
sults and search for some other which may 
17 



How to be a Yogi 

reveal more and more, and thus we strug- 
gle on, discovering at each step how 
poor and helpless are the sense powers in 
the path of the knowledge of the Absolute. 
At last we are driven to the conclusion that 
any instrument, no matter how fine, can 
never help us to realize that which is be- 
yond the reach of sense-perception, intel- 
lect, and thought. 

So, even if we could spend the whole of 
our time and energy in studying phe- 
nomena, we shall never arrive at any satis- 
factory result or be able to see things as 
they are in reaHty. The knowledge of 
to-day, gained by the help of certain in- 
struments, will be the ignorance of tomor- 
row, if we get better instruments. The 
knowledge of last year is already the igno- 
rance of the present year; the knowledge 
of this century will be ignorance in the 

light of the discoveries of a new century. 
18 



" Introductory 

The span 'of one human life is, therefore, 
too short to even attempt to acquire a cor- 
rect knovvledg^e of all thing-s existing on 
the phenomenal plane. The life-time of 
hundreds of thousands of generations, nay, 
of all humanity, seems too short, when we 
consider the infinite variety to be found in 
the universe, and the countless number of 
objects that will have to be known before 
we can reach the end of knowledge. If a 
man could live a million years, keeping his 
senses in perfect order during that long 
period, and could spend every moment in 
stud3ang nature and in diligently en- 
deavoring to learn every minute detail 
of phenomenal objects, would his search 
after knowledge be fulfilled at the expira- 
tion of that time? Certainly not ; he would 
want still more time, a finer power of per- 
ception, a keener intellect, a subtler un- 
derstanding ; and then he might say, as 'did 
19 



How to be a Yogi 

Sir Isaac Newton after a life of tireless re- 
search, " I have collected only pebbles on 
the shore of the ocean of knowledge." If 
a genius like Newton could not even reach 
the edge of the water of that ocean, how 
can we expect to cross the vast expanse 
from shore to shore in a few brief years? 
Thousands of generations have passed 
away, thousands will pass, yet must the 
knowledge regarding the phenomena of 
the universe remain imperfect. Veil after 
veil may be removed, but veil after veil will 
remain behind. This was understood by 
the Yogis and Seers of Truth in India, who 
said: " Innumerable are the branches of 
knowledge, but short is our time and 
many are the obstacles in the way ; there- 
fore wise men should first struggle to know 
that which is highest." 

Here the question arises: Which is the 

highest knowledge? This question is as 
20 



Introductory 

old as history; it has puzzled the minds of 
the philosophers, scientists, and scholars of 
all ages and all countries. Some have 
found an answer to it, others have not. 
The same question was voiced in ancient 
times by Socrates, when he went to the 
Delphic oracle and asked: " Of all knowl- 
edge which is the highest? " To which 
came the answer, *\^Know thyself." 

We read in one of the Upanishads that a 
great thinker, after studying all the philos- 
ophies and sciences known at that time, 
came to a Seer of Truth and said : " Sir, I 
am tired of this lower knowledge that can 
be gained from books or through the study 
of the world of phenomena; it no longer 
satisfies me, for science cannot reveal the 
ultimate Truth ; I wish to know that which 
is the highest. Is there anything by know- 
ing which I can know the reality of the 

universe? " 

21 



How to be a Yogi 

The sage replied : V Yes, there is ; and 
that knowledge is the highest, by knowing 
which you can know the true nature of 
everything in the universe." And he con- 
tinued, " Know thyself. If thou canst 
learn the true nature of thine own self, 
thou wilt know the reality of the universe. 
In thy true Self thou wilt find the Eternal 
Truth, the Infinite Source of all phe- 
nomena. By knowing this thou wilt know 
God and His whole creation." ., As by 
knowing the chemical properties of one 
drop of water, we know the properties of 
all water wherever it appears, so by know- 
ing who and what we are in reality, we 
shall realize the final Truth. Man is the 
epitome of the universe. That which exists 
in the maorocosm is to be found in the 
microcosrn. Therefore the knowledge of 

"V '-' 

one's true Self is the highest of all knowl- 
edge. Our real Self is divine and one with 



Introductory 

God. This may seem to us at present a 
mere theory, but the nearer we approach 
the ultimate Truth, the more clearly shall 
we understand that it is not a theory but 
a fact, that now we are dreaming in the 
sleep of ignorance and fancying ourselves 
this or that particular person. But as all 
experience gained in dreams afterwards 
appears of little consequence; so, waking 
up from this sleep, we shall find that the 
knowledge of phenomenal nature, upon 
which we place so much value at present, 
is of little importance. We shall then 
realize that all research in the various 
branches of science depends upon Self- 
knowledge, and that Self-knowledge is the 
foundation upon which the structure of 
phenomenal knowledge is built. 

Knowledge of the Self or Atman is 
therefore the highest of all. It is the ideal 

of the Science of Yoga, ancl should be the 
23 



How to be a Yogi 

aim of our life. We should hold it as our 

first duty to acquire this Self-knowledge 

before we try to know anything concerning 

the objects of sense-perception. How can 

we gain it? Not from, books, not through 

the study of external phenomena, but by 

studying our own nature, and by practicing 

the different branches of Yoga. 
24 



what is Yoga? 



what is Yoga 



? 



In all the Sacred Writings of the world 
as well as in the lives of the inspired teach- 
ers, prophets, saints, and Seers of Truth, 
we find frequent descriptions of miraculous 
events and powers, which, admitting a cer- 
tain measure of exaggeration, must still 
have had some foundation in fact. We, 
indeed, know that from time immemorial 
in every age and in every country there 
have arisen among the different nations 
persons who could read the thoughts of 
others, who' could foresee and could 
prophesy that which afterwards came to 
pass ; but most of these people did not un- 
derstand the causes of their own peculiar 
37 



How to be a Yogi 

gifts, and tried to explain them by attri- 
buting them to the influence of external 
Beings, whom they called by various 
names — gods, angels, good or evil spirits. 

Some among them even fancied that 
they were especially chosen to be the in- 
struments of these higher powers and 
sought to be worshipped as the elect of 
God or of their particular deity, just as the 
leaders of certain sects in this country to- 
day desire to be adored by their followers. 
In some instances, those who possessed 
these unusual powers were looked upon as 
divine exceptions, as Jesus by the Chris- 
tians, Mahomet by the Mahometans, and 
Buddha by the Buddhists. Others again 
were condemned as sorcerers or witches, 
and the fear aroused by such persecutions 
led to the secret practice of divers methods 
which resulted in still further extraordi- 
nary manifestations. 

28 



What is Yoga? 

These methods were never written 
down, but were passed orally from the 
master to the disciple, who in turn care- 
fully guarded them as sacred mysteries. 
This is the reason why among- ancient 
nations there grew up so many secret 
societies, the object of which was to 
develop certain powers through various 
kinds of discipline and practices. The 
Egyptians, the Essenes, Gnostics, Mani- 
cheans, Neo-Platonists, and the Christian 
mystics of the middle ages all had their 
secret organizations, and some 'of them 
still exist, as, for example, the Masonic 
Lodge. None of the members of these 
societies ever gave out their secret instruc- 
tions, nor did they write any books offer- 
ing a logical or scientific explanation of 
their practices. Therefore, while there 
were some among them who advanced far 

in the attainment of higher powers, the 
29 



How to be a Yogi 

unusual manifestations resulting therefrom 
were never understood by Western na- 
tions, neither were they generalized into a 
system or science. 

In ancient India, on the contrary, as 
there was no fear of persecution, the case 
was altogether different. Every Hindu 
was obliged, as a part of his religious duty, 
to develop through daily practice certain 
powers and to strive to attain to the reali- 
zation of higher truths. In the streets, on 
the market-place, in the courts, and on the 
battle-field were many who had not only 
reached such realization, but who had care- 
fully classified their experiences and dis- 
covered those laws which govern our 
higher nature and upon which was gradu- 
ally built up the profound Science of Yoga. 

Thus we see that this science, like all 

others, was based on experience ; while the 

method used in it was the same as that 
30 



What is Yoga ? 

employed by modern science in making- all 
its discoveries of natural law — the meth- 
od of observation and experiment. This 
method is regarded in the West as a dis- 
tinctly modern innovation, but as a matter 
of fact it was adopted in India in very 
ancient times by the " Rishis," or Seers of 
Truth. Through the process of close ob- 
servation and constant experiment they 
discovered the finer forces of nature, as 
also the laws that govern our physical, 
mental, and spiritual being. The truths 
thus gained through their own experience 
and investigations, they wrote down in 
books, preached in public, and expounded 
to their pupils. Before, however, they 
affirmed anything about the nature of the 
soul or God, they had realized it. Before 
they asked a disciple to practice anything 
they had practiced it themselves, and had 

obtained definite results from that practice. 
31 



How to be a Yogi 

In this way, as the outcome of ages of 
research in the realms of nature, carried on 
by a succession of earnest seekers after 
light, there grew up in India various sys- 
tems of science, philosophy, psychology, 
metaphysics, and religion, both speculative 
and practical, which were grouped under 
the one common name, " Aryan ReHgion." 
The term " religion " was used to include 
all, because at no epoch in India has rehg- 
ion been separated from these dififerent 
branches or from the general conduct of 
every-day existence; and the methods by 
which these scientific truths were applied in 
the daily life of an individual to further his 
spiritual development, were called by the 
general term " Yoga." 

" Yoga " is a Sanskrit word commonly 
used to signify the. practical side of re- 
ligion; and the first concern of the train- 
ing for which it stands, Is to enforce proper 



What is Yoga? 

obedience to the laws of our moral and 
physical nature, upon which depend the at- 
tainment of perfect health and of moral 
and spiritual perfection. In Western coun- 
tries the word has been grossly misunder- 
stood and misused by many writers, who 
have employed it in the sense of jugglery, 
hypnotism, trickery, and fraud. Whenever 
people hear the word " Yogi," which signi- 
fies one who practices Yoga, they think of 
some kind of juggler, or charlatan, or iden- 
tify him with a fakir or one who practices 
black magic. The Theosophists have been 
more or less responsible for this abuse of 
the term; but those who have studied the 
Sacred Books of India, as, for instance, 
the Bhagavad Gita or Song Celestial, as 
Sir Edwin Arnold calls it in his translation, 
will remember that each chapter of that 
Celestial Song is devoted to some kind of 

" Yoga," or method of realizing the Ul- 
33 



How to be a Yogi 

timate Truth and of attaining the highest 
wisdom; and that a "Yogi" is one who 
through various practices reaches the 
highest ideal of rehgion. This highest 
ideal, according to the Bhagavad Gita, is 
the union of the individual soul with the 
Universal Spirit. 

Hindu writers, however, have used the 
word " Yoga " in various other senses. I 
will mention a few of them in order to give 
some conception of the vastness of the field 
covered by this termi. First, " Yoga " 
means the union of two external objects. 
Second, the mixing of one thing with an- 
other. Third, the interrelation of the 
causes which produce a common effect. 
Fourth, the orderly equipment of a soldier 
or of any person in any profession. Fifth, 
the application, discrimination, and reason- 
ing that is necessary for the discovery of a 

certain truth. Sixth, that power of sound 
84 



What is Yoga? 

which makes it convey a specific idea. 
Seventh, the preservation of what one pos- 
sesses. Eighth, the transformation of one 
thing into another. Ninth, the union of 
one soul with another or with the universal 
Spirit. Tenth, the flowing of a thought 
current towards an object. Eleventh, the 
restraint of all thought action through 
concentration and meditation. Thus we 
see how many different branches of art, 
science, psychology, philosophy, and re- 
ligion are included in the various defini- 
tions of this one word. It seems, indeed, in 
its scope and range to take in every depart- 
ment of nature. If, however, we consider 
the literal meaning of the word, we shall 
more easily understand why it is so all- 
inclusive. 

It is derived from the Sanskrit root 
" Yuj," which means to join. The Eng- 
lish word " yoke " also comes from the 
35 



How to be a Yogi 

same root. Originally the literal significa- 
tion of the two words was almost the same. 
The root-verb " Yuj " signifies to join 
oneself to something, or to harness oneself 
for some task. Thus in its primary mean- 
ing it conveys the same idea of preparing 
for hard work as the common Enghsh ex- 
pressions " to go into harness," or " to 
buckle to." The effort required is mental 
or physical, according to the object in view. 
If the object be the acquirement of perfect 
health or longevity, then the effort of both 
mind and body tO' accomplish this through 
certain practices is called " Yoga." So is 
it again if the object be the development of 
psychic powers. The same word is used 
likewise to indicate the mental training 
necessary for the attainment of self-con- 
trol, of the union of the individual soul 
with God, of divine communion or of spi- 
ritual perfection. Volumes upon volumes 
36 



What is Yoga*? 

have been written in India describing the 
different branches and methods of this ap- 
pHed science of " Yoga," and the various 
ideals that can be attained through its 
practice; also what quahfications fit a be- 
ginner for undertaking any of these 
methods, what stages he must pass 
through in order to reach the goal, what 
obstacles stand in the way, and how they 
can be overcome. 

Patience and perseverance are abso- 
lutely necessary for any one who desires to 
enter upon the path of Yoga; those who 
are not patient cannot hope to arrive at 
true realization. Those, again, who take it 
up out of curiosity or through an impulse 
of temporary enthusiasm, must not expect 
to get results, and must not blame the 
teacher for their failure to do so, since 
the fault is entirely their own. The same 

teachings, when carried out with under- 
37 



How to be a Yogi 

standing and in the right spirit, will bring 
wonderful results. They will only come, 
however, to the student who follows 
strictly the instructions of a living mas- 
ter, who will direct him in the practice of 
both physical and mental exercises. 

Aspirants to the study of Yoga can be 
divided into three classes: First, those who 
are born Yogis. There are some who, 
having practiced Yoga in a previous incar- 
nation, come here as awakened souls, and 
as such manifest remarkable powers from 
their very childhood. Their natural ten- 
dency is to lead a pure life, for right living 
and right thinking are their sole concern, 
and they possess wonderful powers of self- 
control and of concentration. Sense pleas- 
ures and those things which fascinate the 
ordinary mind have no charm for them. 
Even when they are surrounded by all the 

comforts of life and have every material 
88 



What is Yoga? 

resource at their command, they yet feel 
Hke strangers in a strange land. Few there 
are who can understand properly the men- 
tal condition of these characters. Phy- 
sicians may be brought to them, but med- 
ical treatment may only make them worse ; 
the writer knows of cases where harm has 
been done in this way. By the law of at- 
traction, however, they are bound to be 
drawn sooner or later into the companion- 
ship of some Yogi. Here they find exactly 
what their inner nature has been craving, 
and at once they feel happy and at home. 
The instructions of the Yogi appeal to 
their minds; they begin the practice of 
Yoga under his direction, and proving easy 
and natural to them, they soon obtain ex- 
cellent results. Thus from youth they take 
up the thread of the practice at the very 
point where they dropped it in their past 

existence; and through a firm determina- 
39 



How to be a Yogi 

tion to overcome all obstacles in their 
way, they progress rapidly and gradually 
attain to the highest ideal of spiritual life. 
Nothing in the world can prevent their on- 
ward march, so intense and strong is their 
longing for realization. 

The second class includes those who are 
born as half-awakened souls. In need of 
further experience, they go through vari- 
ous paths without finding the right one. 
They take each new step tentatively, and 
in this constant experimenting, they waste 
a great deal of energy and a large portion 
of their lives. If such partially awakened 
souls, following out a tendency created in 
their previous existence, have the good 
fortune to come in contact with a Yogi and 
take up the practice of Yoga, they may, 
through perseverance and earnestness, 
achieve much in this life, although they 

will necessarily advance more slowly in the 
40 



What is Yoga? 

path of spirituality than those who belong 
to the first class. 

In the third class are to be found all 
those unawakened souls who begin their 
search after Truth and the practice of 
Yoga for the first time in this Hfe. Even 
from childhood they are irresistibly drawn 
towards sense objects and sense pleasures ; 
and if they take up the practice of Yoga, 
they find great difficulty in following its 
teachings and meet numerous obstacles 
along the way. Their environment is not 
favorable for the practice, and even when 
they try, they cannot easily conquer it. 
Their health is not good, their mind is scat- 
tered, and they suffer from various kinds of 
disease and mental disturbance. They 
also lack determination, find it wellnigh 
impossible to control the senses, and have 
to fight hard to adjust their mode of living 

to the new requirements. With so much 
41 



How to be a Yogi 

to contend against they naturally obtain 
but small results even after long practice. 
If, however, such persons can persevere 
and strengthen their wills through a slow 
and regular practice of Hatha Yoga, 
struggling manfully to overcome the many 
obstacles in their way by the practice of 
breathing exercises and by following the 
directions of a competent teacher, who 
understands them, they may in this life be 
able to control in a large measure their 
physical health and acquire a certain 
amount of Yoga power. Hatha Yoga is 
especially useful for this class of aspirants. 
Through the practice of breathing exer- 
cises they will gradually gain control over 
their bodies, and will, in course of time, be 
prepared for the study of Raja Yoga, which 

will arouse the powers latent in their souls. 
42 



Hatha Yoga 



Hatha Yoga is that branch of the 
Science of Yoga which teaches how to 
conquer hunger, thirst, and sleep ; how to 
overcome the effects of heat and cold; how 
to gain perfect health and cure disease 
without using drugs; how to arrest the 
untirnelj decay of the body resulting from 
the waste of vital energy; how to preserve 
youth even at the age of one hundred 
without having a single hair turn grey, and 
how thus to prolong life in this body for an 
indefinite period. Anyone who practices it 
will in the course of time acquire marvel- 
lous powers ; powers indeed, which must 
dumbfound a psychologist or anatomist. 

A few years ago a Hatha Yogi was 

brought to England. Although in middle 
43 



How to be a Yogi 

life he looked like a boy of eighteen. Not 
only was his physical condition perfect, 
but through practice he had mastered 
eighty-four postures of the body. He 
could bend his limbs in so astonishing a 
way that it seemed as if his joints must be 
unattached, while his bones were as though 
made of some elastic substance. Many 
English physicians and surgeons came to 
see him and were amazed at the extra- 
ordinary positions of his limbs. They 
brought a skeleton and tried to fix its 
bones in the same positions, but could not 
do so without breaking them. Afterwards 
they reached the conclusion that if the 
bones were once fixed in those positions 
the Hmbs would be unfitted for any kind 
of work. Yet the example of the Yogi 
openly contradicted their statements. His 
limbs were strong and of good use to 

him in every possible way. He could walk, 
44 



Hatha Yoga 

lift heavy weights, and move about with 
absolute ease. The writer himself saw 
him in India, and also other Hatha Yogis 
who could accomplish equally wonderful 
feats. The primary object of these various 
postures described in Hatha Yoga Is to 
gain control over the involuntary muscles 
of the body, which is impossible to the 
ordinary man. We all possess this power 
latent within us, but the Hatha Yogis were 
the first to discover a scientific method by 
which it could be developed. 

All Hatha Yogis eat very little, but they 
can also go entirely without food for days 
and even for months, and succeed in con- 
quering sleep. The author knew of one 
who had not slept for twelve years, and who 
was nevertheless in perfect health. He has 
also seen a Hatha Yogi who usually ate, 
for instance, a piece of unleavened bread 

in twenty-four hours, and who refused to 
45 



How to be a Yogi 

wear warm clothing in the coldest winter 
weather, and yet who voluntarily worked 
hard as a street laborer without showing 
the least sign of fatigue. It may seem im- 
possible to the majority of people, who 
have made themselves such slaves to sleep 
and food as to imagine that if they do not 
sleep eight or nine hours out of the 
twenty-four and eat pounds of flesh, they 
cannot live. Hatha Yogis are the living 
contradictions of such opinions. Perhaps 
the reader is familiar with the account of 
that Yogi who was buried alive for forty 
days in an hermetically sealed box, with a 
guard of English officers to watch the spot 
night and day. During these forty days 
the Yogi could neither eat, sleep, nor 
breathe, yet at their expiration he was 
brought back to consciousness without 
any ill effects and he lived for many years.* 

*For fuller account see "Law of Psychic Phenomena," 
by Thomas Jay Hudson, page 313. 
46 



Hatha Yoga 

Then again these same Yogis who do 
not eat, sleep, or drink for a long period, 
can, if they wish, eat as much as ten per- 
sons at one time without suffering any un- 
pleasant consequences. Of course they 
do not eat any kind of meat. They digest 
their food consciously, as it were. They 
claim that by a third eye they can, so to 
speak, see what is going on in their inter- 
nal organs. Why should this seem in- 
credible to us when the discovery of the 
Roentgen rays has proved everything to 
be transparent? 

Some of the Hatha Yogis have extraor- 
dinary eyesight. They can not only per- 
ceive objects at a great distance, but can 
also see clearly in complete darkness, even 
being able to pick up a pin from the floor 
without the least glimmer of ordinary light 
to guide them. This will not appear so 

strange when we remember that there is in- 

47 



How to be a Yogi 

visible light in the atmosphere of a per- 
fectly dark room. If we can learn to use 
this atmospheric light, imperceptible to 
the common eye, and can develop our eye- 
sight, there is no reason why we should not 
see things in the dark. The Yogis under- 
stand this and know the method by which 
the power of eyesight can be developed. 
As regards distinguishing objects at a 
great distance, this is not so difificult to 
believe since we know that there are per- 
sons living, not Yogis, who can see the 
moons of Jupiter without the help of any 
instrument. 

This branch of optical science in Hatha 
Yoga is called in Sanskrit " Trataka " 
Yoga. It teaches, among other things, 
how, through gazing on one object and at 
the same time performing certain special 
breathing exercises, many optical maladies 
can be cured as well as the power of sight 



48 



Hatha Yoga 

strengthened. The authentic records of 
Hatha Yogis vouch for the fact that it pro- 
duces many beneficial effects when prop- 
erly practiced under the direction of a 
competent master of Hatha Yoga. 

A Yogi who is expert in this science of 
optics can fascinate or madden another by 
his optical powers. The process of hyp- 
notism or mesmerism verifies this claim. 
A Yogi can likewise read the thoughts of 
another by looking at his eyes ; for accord- 
ing to the Yogi the eye is the index of the 
mind. Here it may be asked, how do the 
Yogis acquire these powers? They do not 
get them from outside. These powers are 
dormant in every individual, and through 
practice the Yogis bring them out. They 
say : " Whatever exists in the universe (the 
macrocosm) exists also in the human body 
(the microcosm)." That is, the finer forces 

exist potentially in our own organism, and 
49 



How to be a Yogi 

if we study our nature carefully we shall be 
able to know all the forces and the laws 
which govern the universe. 

Hatha Yoga, again, teaches the cure of 
disease through breathing exercises and 
the regulation of diet and of the general 
habits of the daily life. But it does not 
claim that physical health is the same as 
spirituality. On the contrary, it tells us 
that if a healthy body were a sign of spirit- 
uality, then wild animals and savages who 
enjoy perfect health would be exceedingly 
spiritual; yet they are not, as we know. 
The principal idea of these Yogis is that 
physical maladies are obstacles in the path 
of spiritual progress, while a healthy body 
furnishes one of the most favorable con- 
ditions for the realization of the highest 
spiritual truths in this life. Those who do 
not possess good health should, therefore, 

begin to practice Hatha Yoga. 
50 



Hatha Yoga 

In the practice of Hatha Yoga strict 
dietetic rules must be observed. Any- 
thing that is sharp, sour, pungent, or hot, 
Hke mustard, Hquors, fish, flesh of animals, 
curd, buttermilk, oil cakes, carrots, onions, 
and garlic should not be eaten. Food, 
again, which, having been once cooked, 
has grown cold and been rewarmed, should 
be avoided; as should also excess of 
salt or acidity, or that which is hard to 
digest. Rice, barley, wheat, milk, sugar, 
honey, and butter are good for a Hatha 
Yogi's diet. The manner in which Amer- 
icans live in hotels and boarding-houses, 
where the food is often unclean, is far from 
favorable tO' this practice. Food cooked 
for hundreds of people in a restaurant 
cannot be equally good for all and may 
easily cause disease. Those who wish to 
enjoy perfect health must be careful about 

what they eat; they must also observe all 
51 



How to be a Yogi 

the laws of hygiene regarding cleanliness 
of the body, fresh air, and pure water. 
They should not live in over-heated 
houses; neither should they indulge in 
artificial stimulants, especially beer, wine, 
and coffee. The habit of excessive coffee- 
drinking is a serious menace to the Amer- 
ican nation. Many people are already suf- 
fering from nervous prostration as a result 
of indulgence in this direction, and there 
are very few cases in which the nervous 
system will not be affected by it to some 
extent. 

He who wishes to practice Hatha Yoga 
should first of all find a Hatha Yogi 
teacher, who has perfect control over his 
physical body; and having found him, he 
should lead a life in strict accord with his 
instructions. He should live in a secluded 
spot and where the changes of weather are 

neither sudden nor extreme. He should 
52 



Hatha Yoga 

be a rigid vegetarian and abstain from all 
kinds of drinks that stimulate the system. 
He should never fill the stomach with a 
large quantity of food. He should observe 
the moral laws and practice absolute 
continence. He should learn to con- 
trol his senses, keep his body clean, 
and purify his mind by arousing feel- 
ings of kindness and love towards all 
living creatures. 

The beginner in this branch of Yoga 
should gradually conquer the different pos- 
tures of the body and limbs. These pos- 
tures are called in Sanskrit Asana. There 
are altogether eighty-four of them de- 
scribed in the science of Hatha Yoga. 
Each of these, when practiced with spe- 
cial breathing exercises, develops certain 
powers latent in the nerve centers and the 
different organs of the system. Another 

object in practicing Asana is to remove the 
53 



How to be a Yogi 

Tamas element which causes heaviness of 
the body, and to free the system from the 
effects ol cold, catarrh, phlegm, rheu- 
matism, and many other diseases. Some of 
the exercises increase the action of the 
stomach and liver, while others regulate 
the activities of the other organs. Tremor 
of the body and restlessness of the limbs, 
which are such frequent obstacles in the 
v/ay of gaining control over the mind, may 
easily be removed by the practice of 
Asana. 

The reader may get an idea of the Asana 
from the following descriptions : 

I. Sit cross-legged on the floor, placing 
the left foot on the right thigh and the 
right foot on the left thigh, and keeping 
the body, neck, and head in a straight hne. 

II. After sitting in this posture, hold the 

right great toe with the right hand and the 

left great toe with the left hand (the hands 
54 



Hatha Yoga 

coming from behind the back and crossing 
each other). 

III. Sit straight on a level place, firmly 
inserting both insteps between the thighs 
and the calves of the legs. 

IV. Assuming posture No. I, insert the 
hands between the thighs and the calves, 
and, planting the palms firmly on the 
ground, lift the body above the seat. 

V. Sitting on the floor, stretch the legs 
straight in front, hold the great toes with 
the hands without bending the knees. 

VI. Having accomplished this posture, 
touch the knees with the forehead. This 
Asana rouses gastric fire, makes the loins 
lean, and removes many diseases. 

VII. Holding the toes as in posture V, 
keep one arm extended and with the other 
draw the other toe towards your ear as you 
would do with the string of a bow. 

VIII. Plant hands firmly on the ground, 

55 



How to be a Yogi 

support the weight of the body upon the 
elbows, pressing them against the sides of 
the loins. Then raise the feet above the 
ground, keeping them stifif and straight on 
a level with the head. 

This Asana, according to Hatha Yoga, 
cures diseases of the stomach, spleen, and 
liver, and all disorders caused by an excess 
of wind, bile, or phlegm. It also increases 
the power of digestion. 

IX. Lie upon the back on the floor at 
full length like a corpse, keeping the head 
on a level with the body. This Asana 
removes fatigue and brings rest and calm- 
ness of mind. 

The student of Hatha Yoga, having per- 
fected himself in controlling some of these 
postures, should next take up the breath- 
ing exercises. He should carefully study 
the science of breathing in all its aspects. 

Posture No. I is one of the easiest and best 
56 



Hatha Yoga 

Asanas for one who wishes to control the 
breath. It favors a tranquil circulation 
and slow respiration. 

A beginner should first practice ab- 
dominal breathing through both nostrils, 
keeping a measured time for inspiration 
and expiration. Gradually he should be 
directed by his master to hold the breath 
in and out. Practicing this internal and 
external suspension of breath for a few 
weeks, he should next take up alternate 
breathing. He may inspire through the 
left nostril for four seconds and expire 
through the right for four seconds, then 
reverse the order, breathing in through the 
right and out through the left. The alter- 
nate breathing exercises will purify the 
nerves and will make the student well- 
fitted for higher breathing exercises. The 
student should then breathe in through 

one nostril for four seconds, hold the 
57 



How to be a Yogi 

breath counting sixteen seconds, and 
breathe out through the other nostril 
counting eight seconds. This exercise, if 
practiced regularly for three months, will 
generate new nerve-currents and develop 
the healing power that is latent in the sys- 
tem. 

The Yogi^;wih«f- wishes to cure organic 
-trottble'or disease of any kind, should com- 
bine the higher breathing exercises with 
the different postures of the body which 
bear direct relation to the disturbed organ. 
He should arouse the healing power stored 
up at the base of the spine and direct it to 
the diseased part. 

Hatha Yoga describes various methods 
for cleansing the internal organs. Some 
of them are extremely beneficial to those 
who suffer from chronic headache, or cold 
in the head, catarrh, dyspepsia, or in- 
somnia. 

58 



Hatha Yoga 

The drinking of cold water through the 
nose removes headache or chronic cold 
in the head. A Hatha Yogi cleanses the 
passage between the nose and the mouth 
by passing soft cords of delicate thread 
through the nostrils and bringing them 
out at the mouth. He can pass the cord 
through one nostril and bring it out 
through the other. This purifies the 
head, makes the sight keen, and re- 
moves disease in the parts above the 
shoulders. 

A Hatha Yogi cleanses the alimentary 
canal by swallowing a long piece of fine 
muslin three inches wide. He purges the 
impurities of the intestines by drawing 
water through the opening at the lower 
extremity of the alimentary canal. This 
he does with the help of breathing exer- 
cises without using any instrument. Then 

shaking the water by the alternate exercise 
59 



How to be a Yogi 

of the rectimuscles of the abdomen, he 
throws out the water through the same 
passage. An expert Yogi can wash the 
whole of the aHmentary canal by drinking 
a large quantity of water and letting it 
pass through the opening at the lower ex- 
tremity. Thus he becomes free from 
stomach or intestinal disorder. These 
exercises are especially recommended for 
those who are flabby, phlegmatic, or cor- 
pulent. 

He cures insomnia by assuming posture 
No. IX, at the same time taking a few 
deep breaths and holding them after each 
inspiration. 

A Hatha Yogi can swallow his tongue. 
It is said that he who can swallow his up- 
turned tongue is freed from old age and 
death, conquers sleep, hunger and thirst, 
and rises above time. The powers of a 

perfect Hatha Yogi are indeed wonderful. 
60 



Hatha Yoga 

He can do and undo anything at his will. 
He is the master of all physical laws. 

Thus we see that perfect health and 
longevity are the immediate results of the 
Hatha Yoga practices. To the real seeker 
after Absolute Truth, however, they have 
small value except as they become a means 
of attaining superconscious realization. 
According to him, if a man lives five hun- 
dred years and yet in that time does not 
reach the state of God-consciousness, he 
is little better than an oak tree which may 
outlast many generations and grow to 
great size, but is in the end only an oak 
tree. That man, on the contrary, who dies 
at the age of thirty, having realized his 
oneness with Divinity, has achieved in- 
finitely more than he who possesses perfect 
health, longevity, psychic powers, or the 
gift of healing; for he has become a living 

God in this world and can point the way of 
61 



How to be a Yogi 

salvation to all mankind. Therefore the 
exercises of Hatha Yoga should be prac- 
ticed only so far as the earnest truth- 
seeker does not attain Raja Yoga, which 
alone will lead the soul to God-conscious- 
ness and perfect freedom. 
62 



Raja Yoga 

Hatha Yoga, as we have already seen, 
is wholly devoted to the control of the 
functions of the body and to the mastery 
of the physical forces, its ideal being a 
sound constitution, well-fitted to overcome 
those physical and environmental condi- 
tions which stand as obstacles in the path 
of spiritual progress. Raja Yoga, on the 
contrary, deals entirely with the mind 
and psychic power and may be called the 
science of applied psychology. Its aim is 
to remove all mental obstructions and to 
gain a perfectly controlled, healthy mind. 
The main purpose of its training is to 
develop and strengthen the will as well as 
the power of concentration, and to lead 

the seeker after Truth through the path 
63 



How to be a Yogi 

of concentration and meditation to the 
ultimate goal of all religion. 

This path is called Raja Yoga or the 
Royal method (Raja means " king ") be- 
cause the power of concentration and will- 
power are not only greater than any phy- 
sical force, but are essential to the acquisi- 
tion of all other powers. The man who 
possesses a vigorous mind controlled by a 
well-developed will, with strong power of 
concentration, can easily become the mas- 
ter of physical nature and in a short time 
attain the realization of Truth; and it is 
the special province of Raja Yoga to teach 
how this can be accomplished. Its study 
has been encouraged by all those who have 
come in contact with the Raja Yogis of 
India either in ancient or modern times. 
It was extolled by Pythagoras, by Plato 
and the Neo-Platonists like Plotinus and 
Proclus, by the Gnostics and the Christian 



64 



Raja Yoga 

mystics of the middle ages; and even to- 
day it is in some measure practiced by 
some of the Roman Catholic monks and 
nuns of the higher orders. Spinoza, Kant, 
Schopenhauer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, 
spoke in praise of it, declaring its object 
to be the unravelling of the mystery of the 
nature of the human soul and the unfold- 
ment of the latent powers existing in each 
individual. It has been proved by the 
living example of Yogis that through its 
practice that power can be acquired by 
which all other forces in the universe may 

be controlled; and Raja Yoga claims that 

i 
whoever has gained mastery over his mind, 

can govern all the phenomena of nature. 

It teaches that mind is the sovereign 

power of the universe, and that when its 

forces are properly concentrated upon any 

particular object, the true nature of that 

object will be revealed. Instead of using 
65 



How to be a Yogi 

an instrument, if we properly utilize the 
mental powers which we already possess, 
and focus them absolutely upon one point, 
we can easily know all the particulars re- 
garding the thing upon which they are 
directed. This object may be physical, 
mental, or spiritual. The concentrated 
mind of a Yogi may be compared to an 
electric search-light. By throwing the 
converged rays of his mind toward a dis- 
tant object, whether gross or subtile, all 
the details of that object are illumined and 
made known to him. The vision of ordin- 
ary persons is not so penetrating because 
[their mental forces are dissipated like the 
scattered rays of an ordinary light In the 
same way, if the mind can be concentrated 
upon internal objects or upon truths that 
exist in the realm of the universal, perfect 
knowledge of those things can be acquired. 

Thus it becomes evident that the power 
66 



Raja Yoga 

of concentration is greater than sense- 
power, or than that which can be gained by 
the help of instruments. If we can develop 
it by controlling our mental faculties, by 
making the mind introspective, and by 
checking all distractions which draw the 
mind outside ; and can direct our concen- 
trated mental energy toward our higher 
Self, the true nature of the individual ego 
will be revealed, and we shall realize that 
our immutable Self is the Soul of all, and 
that it is the same as the ultimate Reality 
of the universe. We shall then perceive 
that the Divine Being, whom in ignorance 
we worship as separate from ourselves, is 
not far from us, is not dwelling outside of 
us, but is our own omnipotent Self residing 
within us. We shall also recognize that 
the same Spirit is one and all-pervading, 
and that it is the Absolute Truth under- 
lying the name and form of everv phe- 
67 



How to be a Yogi 

nomenal object. This knowledge will 
emancipate the soul from the bondage of 
ignorance. 

Raja Yoga maintains that the outer 
world exists only in relation to the inner 
nature of each individual. What mind is 
to itself, the phenomenal world of sense- 
perception is to the mind. The external 
is only the reflection of the internal ; that 
which we gain, that which we receive, is 
only the likeness or reflection of that which 
we have already given. Mental phenom- 
ena are merely the effects of invisible 
forces, which cannot be discovered by the 
senses or by any instrument which the 
human mind can invent. We may try for- 
ever to know these finer forces through 
the medium of our sense-perceptions, but 
we shall never arrive at any satisfactory 
result. A Raja Yogi understands this and 

therefore attaches little value to instru- 
68 



Raja Yoga 

ments. He does not depend upon his 
sense-powers, but endeavors to gain all 
knowledge through the power of concen- 
tration. The science of Raja Yoga gives 
the various steps which lead to the attain- 
ment of this ideal. It explains clearly and 
scientifically the processes and methods by 
which concentration can be developed. It 
does not, however, ask the student to ac- 
cept anything on hearsay, or to believe 
anything on the mere authority of script- 
ures or of writers. But it states certain 
facts, requests the student to experiment, 
experience the results, and draw his own 
conclusions. 

There is nothing mysterious in the sys- 
tem of Raja Yoga. On the contrary, it 
points out the laws which govern so- 
called mysteries and explains under what 
conditions the phenomena of mysteries are 

produced. It shows that so long as the 
69 



How to be a Yogi 

real cause of an event is unknown it ap- 
pears mysterious to us. Standing upon 
the solid ground of logic and reason, the 
science of Raja Yoga unravels the riddles 
of the universe and directs the individual 
soul toward the attainment of the final end 
of all religions. Its principles are highly 
moral and uplifting. It helps the student 
to understand the true purpose of hfe and 
describes the way by which it may be ful- 
filled here and now. Raja Yoga tells us 
that we should not think so much of what 
will happen after death, but that we should 
make the best use of the present and unfold 
the latent powers which we already possess, 
while it reminds us again and again of the 
fact that the advancement made in this life 
will be the foundation of future progress. 
If we gain or develop certain powers be- 
fore we die, those powers will not be lost, 

but will remain with us wherever we go 
70 



Raja Yoga 

after death; while external possessions, 
we know, cannot accompany us in the 
grave. The only things that we can carry 
out of life are our character, our experi- 
ence and the knowledge gained therefrom. 
They are our real possessions; and it is 
these which Raja Yoga will help us to 
develop; since its chief object is to mould 
the character and lead the student to the 
knowledge of the divine nature of the soul. 
The methods which it teaches can be prac- 
ticed without joining any secret organiza- 
tion, but merely by following the direc- 
tions of a true Raja Yogi, who is pure and 
simple, whose mind is free from doubts, 
and who is unattached to the objects of 
the phenomenal plane. 

The practice of Raja Yoga is divided 
into eight steps. The first four are the 
same as those of Hatha Yoga. The first 

and second, Yama and Niyama, include all 
71 



vtmHamnanm 



How to be a Yogi 

the ethical laws that govern our moral na- 
ture. The strict observance of these laws 
is necessary to the practice of the other 
steps of Raja Yoga. All the fundamental 
principles of ethics expounded by Buddha 
and all the truths proclaimed in the Ser- 
mon on the Mount are contained in these 
first two steps. A beginner in the prac- 
tice of Raja Yoga should live a strictly 
moral and pure life, otherwise he will not 
advance in this path, nor will he reach the 
highest Truth or realize the Divinity that 
dwells within him. A neophyte must re- 
member that purity, chastity, and morality 
are the very corner-stones of the structure 
of the Science of Yoga. In the require- 
ments of the first step we find non-killing, 
non-stealing, truthfulness, continence, for- 
givingness, firmness of character, kindness 
to all living creatures, simplicity, modera- 
tion in diet, and cleanliness. Non-killing 
73 



Raja Yoga 

must be in thought, word, and deed, so 
with truthfulness and non-steaHng. The 
character must be firm, for the student 
must persist in the face of all obstacles 
until spiritual perfection is reached. He 
must not take up the study as a passing 
fad, only to satisfy his momentary curi- 
osity, but must continue with patience and 
perseverance until the highest ideal is 
realized. 

The second step includes austerities, for- 
bearance, contentment, faith in the Su- 
preme Being, charity, study, and self- 
surrender to the Divine will. All the phys- 
ical exercises necessary for keeping the 
body in perfect condition are to be found 
in the third step.* Health is essential to 
the attainment of the highest knowledge. 
Those who are suffering from disease can- 

* It is called Asana in Sanskrit. It has been described 
more fully in the chapter on Hatha Yoga, 
73 



How to be a Yogi 

not make their mind steady, cannot fix 
their attention upon truths existing on the 
spiritual plane, because naturally their 
minds will be centered on the diseased 
parts of the body. A beginner, who pos- 
sesses a healthy body and a well-balanced 
mind, should choose any Asana or posture 
of the body in which he can sit firmly for 
a long time without feeling pain in the 
limbs. In the practice of Raja Yoga, how- 
ever, one need not be so particular regard- 
ing the posture of the body. The student 
should simply observe that the spinal 
column is kept perfectly straight while 
practicing breathing lessons in a sitting 
posture. 

Pranayama, or breathing exercises, con- 
stitute the fourth step. The practice of 
certain breathing exercises will remove 
many obstacles like dullness, laziness, and 

bodily weakness, and will be helpful in 

74 



Raja Yoga 

gaining control over the senses, sense or- 
gans, and nerve centers, as also in quiet- 
ing the restlessness of the mind. Anyone 
who will practice such breathing exercises 
regularly, will acquire wonderful power 
over both his mind and his body. He who 
suffers fromi worry, anxiety, nervousness, 
or insomnia, can obtain excellent results 
even in a few days by the practice of 
proper breathing exercises. Those who 
have studied the science of breathing will 
know what these results are ; but the main 
object of the Pranayama in Raja Yoga is 
to develop the power of concentration. 

Making the mind introspective is the 
fifth step. It is called Pratyahara. If we 
can withdraw the mind from external ob- 
jects, fix it on some inner object, and bring 
it under the control of the will, we shall 
accomplish all that is required in this 

step. Pratyahara is preparatory to con- 

75 



How to be a Yogi 

centration. Before the student is able to 
concentrate on any particular object he 
must learn to gather up his scattered men- 
tal powers. This process of collecting the 
powers of the mind and of restraining it 
from going out to external objects is what 
the Yogis designate as Pratyahara. 

Concentration follows next. After go- 
ing through the five preliminary steps, 
if one takes up concentration, the results 
achieved will be extraordinary. Those, 
however, who have not practiced the in- 
troductory steps will find this one ex- 
tremely difficult, for the ground must be 
prepared before good results can be 
gained. 

Meditation is the seventh stage,* and 
through it one passes into Samadhi or the 
state of superconsciousness, which is the 

* For further explanations concerning concentration and 
meditation, see "Spiritual Unfoldment," by the same 
author. 

76 



Raja Yoga 

eighth and last step. In this state the 
sixth sense of finer perception is developed, 
the spiritual eye is opened, and one comes 
face to face with the Divine Being dwell- 
ing within. In it the student reaHzes that 
his true Self is one with the universal 
Spirit, and he receives all the revelation 
and all the inspiration that can possibly 
come to the human soul. It may be 
thought by many that revelation pro- 
ceeds from some external source, either 
through the favor of some angel or bright 
spirit or the extra-cosmic personal God, 
but a Yogi knows that revelation or in- 
spiration is the disclosure of the higher 
Self within, and that the realization of 
spiritual truths comes to that soul which 
has reached the eighth step of Raja Yoga. 
Ceaseless effort, persistence, and persever- 
ance in practice are necessary to attain to 

the state of superconsciousness. That 

77 



i HI IB BnOH MI ll llllllllll ■■i iiu»w»wTjiraTnrT»»Mii ■■ i i'i' jiiLin i 



How to be a Yogi 

which is reaHzed in it cannot be revealed by 
intellect or by any other mental faculty; 
therefore it is said that Truth cannot be 
attained by reading books or Scriptures, 
or by intellect or sense-perception, but by 
reaching the state of superconsciousness. 
Those who are longing to know the Truth, 
who are searching for the ultimate Reality 
of the universe, and are not satisfied with 
the knowledge gained through the senses 
or through the aid of instruments, should 
struggle hard to go into Samadhi, because 
through it alone will they discover their 
ideal and reach the abode of happiness. 
Before, however, they can arrive at this 
state, they will have to follow faithfully the 
different steps already enumerated and 
with patience and perseverance overcome 
all the obstacles which beset the way. 

There are many obstructions to Sa- 
madhi, such as grief, disease, mental lazi- 
78 



R^a Yoga 

ness, doubt, cessation of the struggle to 
attain Samadhi, heaviness of body and 
mind, thirst for worldly things, false knowl- 
edge, non-attaining concentration, falling 
away from the state once attained, irreg- 
ular breathing, etc. They can be easily 
avoided by regular practice under the guid- 
ance of a Yogi teacher. If a student try to 
practice by himself any of the exercises as 
given in Raja Yoga,* he may have some 
unpleasant experiences which may disturb 
his mind or nervous system ; but if he have 
an experienced Raja Yogi to direct him, 
then he will have no difificulty in conquer- 
ing all the obstacles and dangers, and in 
reaching the right destination. Some of 
the powers generated by these practices 
are too dangerous to be handled by an in- 
experienced student; they may not only 



* See "Raja Yoga," by Swami Vivekananda, Pub- 
lished by The Baker and Taylor Co. , New York. 

79 



r»T»:ci»»M »»« jiiiI iriill l ll l l lMI MJU ii UUi'WWW .' in!WW > W i 



How to be a Yogi 

injure him but may even drive him to m- 
sanity. There have, indeed, been many 
such cases among those who have tried to 
practice without the help of a well-qualified 
Guru or spiritual teacher. 

Having removed all obstructions in this 
path, the student should be confident that 
he is approaching the final goal of Raja 
Yoga. When the superconscious realiza- 
tion is acquired all doubts will cease for- 
ever, all questions concerning the nature of 
the soul will be answered, the search after 
Truth will stop, the mind will become tran- 
quil, and the soul will be emancipated from 
the bondage of ignorance and self-delusion. 
The Yogi will never again fall a victim to 
the attractions of the world or be dis- 
tracted by objects of sense. The whole 
universe will appear to him as the play- 
ground of the Divine Being; and he will 

constantly feel that his body and mind are 
80 



Raja Yoga 

like instruments moving under the direc- 
tion of the Almighty Will which is mani- 
festing through all forms. Thus, having 
gained spiritual strength and illumination, 
he will become the conqueror of himself 
and the master of nature even in this life. 

" He alone has reached happiness on this 
earth, he alone has conquered the world, 
who has gained perfect control over his 
mind and body, whose soul rests in tran- 
quillity, and whose eyes behold Divinity in 
everything and everything in that Eternal 
Being, which is the Infinite Abode of exist- 
ence, knowledge, and bliss absolute." 
81 



■ ••'ijiuiiHiuiiuuni 



Karma Yoga 

One of the significations of the word 
" Yoga " is " Dexterity in work." To 
render this meaning still more specific, the 
Sanskrit term " Karma," derived from the 
root verb " Kri," to act, is added. Taken 
in its literal sense, therefore. Karma sig- 
nifies action, and refers to all actions 
whether of mind or body. Wherever there 
is activity of any kind, it is Karma. In this 
sense devotion, love, worship, medita- 
tion, concentration, discrimination are all 
Karma; as are also, for the same reason, 
eating, drinking, walking, talking, or per- 
forming any organic function. 

Again, every action, as we are aware, is 

followed by reaction. No action can be 

separated from its result, as no cause can 

be absolutely disconnected from its effect. 
82 



Karma Yoga 

Consequently the secondary meaning of 
Karma embraces all reactions or results of 
actions. The chain of cause and sequence, 
known as the " law of causation," is also 
called Karma; and every action of body 
and mind is governed by the law of Karma 
or of action and reaction. Being subject 
to this natural law, we have been working 
in this world from the beginningless past, 
and reaping the results of our efiforts, 
whether pleasant or unpleasant, good or 
evil. 

When, furthermore, we consider that 
the effect of each action leaves its impres- 
sion on the mind-substance, which impres- 
sion becomes the seed of a fresh action 
of a similar nature, we understand the 
third meaning of the term. In this 
sense the word Karma includes the 
accumulated results of past actions or 

rather the seed forms of future activities. 
83 



mm 



How to be a Yogi 

Hence the character of an individual, 

which is the aggregate result of the works 

of his previous life may be called Karma. 

In the same way, the future life will be the 

sum-total of the results of the mental and 

physical actions of the present life. 

Karma Yoga is, therefore, that branch 

of the Science of Yoga which discusses 

the three ideas conveyed by the word 

" Karma," explains the philosophy of 

work, describes the method by which 

the individual soul can extricate itself 

from the wheel of action and reaction, 

and having escaped from the irresistible 

law of causation by which every one 

is bound, can attain to perfect freedom, 

fulfill the highest purpose of life, and 

thus through right action alone reach the 

ultimate goal of all religion. It is the path 

best fitted for those who believe in no 

creed, who are not devotional, and who do 
84 



Karma Yoga 

not care to worship or pray to a personal 
God. 

Karma Yoga teaches that the cause of 
the suffering, misery, disease, and misfor- 
tune, which overshadow our earthly life, lies 
in our own actions. We reap the fruit of 
that which we ourselves have sown. These 
causes are within us. We should blame 
neither our parents nor any evil spirit for 
our sufferings, but should look within our- 
selves to discover the source thereof. 
This branch of Yoga likewise describes the 
secret of work, by knowing which we can 
remove all causes of bondage and suffer- 
ing, and enjoy freedom, peace, and happi- 
ness both here and after death. It tells 
us that every action inspired by the motive 
of desire for results attaches the soul to 
these results, and consequently becomes a 
source of bondage. The secret of work 

consists in working for work's sake and not 
85 



How to be a Yogi 

for fruits. If this principle be applied to 
the actions of our daily lives, then every 
work done by us will help us to advance 
toward the perfect emancipation of the 
soul. Whoever performs his duties under- 
standing the secret of work, becomes truly 
unselfish and eventually gains knowledge 
of his real Self, which is immortal and 
divine. 

According to Karma Yoga, the true Self 
when it becomes identified with the limita- 
tions of the mind and the physical form, 
appears as " ego," " doer," or " actor," and 
performing work from various motives, re- 
mains attached to its results. We thus feel 
as one with our body and endeavor to en- 
rich the narrow, limited self or " I " by 
getting something from that which is " not 
I." This imperfect knowledge of the 
" Self," or rather this ignorance of the 

true " Self," is the cause of selfishness. 
86 



Karma Yoga 

From selfishness in turn proceeds all that 
desire for results which forces us to live 
and act like slaves. Karma Yoga shows 
us the way by which we can become con- 
scious of our true Self, and, by widening 
the range of the limited " ego," can make 
it universal. When we have accomplished 
this, we shall live in the world working not 
from' selfish motives, but for humanity, yet 
with as much interest in heart as we had 
when we worked for ourselves. Nor shall 
we then seek the comfort and pleasure of 
this little personality which is now the chief 
center of our interest and effort, but shall 
strive for the good of all. 

Anyone who wishes to become a true 
Karma Yogi should clearly understand the 
philosophy of work, * and should remem- 
ber that every action of body and mind 
must produce some effect which will event- 

* See " Philosophy of Work," by the same author. 

87 



■vqa 



How to be a Yogi 

ually come back upon the doer; and that, 
if there be the smallest desire for result, it 
will be the seed of future action of a like 
nature. He should also realize that every 
action produces similar reaction. If the 
action be in harmony with the moral and 
physical laws which govern our lives, then 
the reaction which comes back upon the 
actor will bring only that which is good, — 
peace, rest, fortune, health, and happiness. 
If, on the contrary, these laws are violated, 
then the result will be evil, producing rest- 
lessness, discomfort, loss of fortune, dis- 
ease, and unhappiness. 

A traveller in the path of Karma Yoga 
should not even think evil of another, be- 
eause in the attempt to injure others we 
first injure ourselves. Every thought puts 
the mind-substance in a certain state of 
vibration and opens the door to the influ- 
ence of such minds as are in the same state 



Karma Yoga 

of vibration. Therefore when we cherish 
evil thoughts, we run the double risk of 
afifecting other minds and of being influ- 
enced by all evil-minded persons holding 
similar thoughts, nay, we expose our minds 
to all the evil thoughts that have been 
thought in the past and stored up in the 
mental atmosphere of the world. A cor- 
responding result comes from the holding 
of good thoughts. This is the reason why 
evil-doers grow worse and worse every 
day, and the doers of good deeds become 
better and better. 

A Karma Yogi should realize that there 
is one Being, or one Spirit, in the universe. 
Seeing this same Being or Spirit in all 
living creatures, he should recognize the 
rights of all and should not injure anyone 
either mentally or physically. Such a 
Yogi is truly unselfish ; he is a blessing to 

the world and to humanity. 
89 



■ ■ i n m i M Miiii Mu ii uuuu i uj i mijM 



How to be a Yogi 

He who wishes to practice Karma Yoga 
should abandon attachment to the fruit of 
his labors, and learn to work for work's 
sake, keeping in mind the idea that by his 
work he is paying off the debt which he 
owes to parents, to society, to country, and 
to • all mankind. Like a wet nurse he 
should take care of his children, realizing 
that they do not belong to him, but that 
they are placed in his charge in order that 
he and they may gain experience and un- 
fold their latent powers and feelings. 

A true Karma Yogi, furthermore, is he 
who recognizes that his real Self is not a 
doer of action, but that all mental and phy- 
sical activity is merely the result of the 
forces of nature. Therefore he never 
claims that any work, whether good or bad, 
has been done by his true " Self." 'He lets 
his mind, intellect, and sense-organs work 

incessantly, while in his soul he holds stead- 
90 



Karma Yoga 

fastly to the idea that he is the witness-like 
Knower of all activity, mental or physical. 
In this way he frees himself from the law of 
Karma and escapes from all the results 
of work which bind ordinary workers. 
Neither does he count success or failure in 
his daily life. He does his best in each 
effort put forth by him, and after perform- 
ing his duty to the utmost of his ability, if 
he meets with failure he does not grieve, 
but, saying within himself that he did all 
that he could under the circumstances, he 
maintains his calmness and enjoys peace 
of mind even in the face of defeat. 

The aim of a Karma Yogi is to live in 
the world and act like a master, not like a 
slave. Ordinary mortals implicitly obey 
the masters of desire and passion, follow- 
ing them without question or discrimina- 
tion. But he who chooses the path of 

Karma Yoga seeks absolute control over 
91 



How to be a Yogi 

desire and passion and directs the force 
manifesting through these channels toward 
the highest ideal of life — freedom of the 
soul. 

In fulfilling all the duties of life the 
Karma Yogi takes refuge in love, making 
it the sole motive power behind every 
action of body and mind ; and whenever he 
performs any duty, it is always through 
love. He understands that sense of duty 
is bondage, while work done through a 
feeling of love frees the soul and brings 
peace, rest, and, in the end, everlasting 
happiness. 

All the great spiritual leaders of 
mankind, like Christ and Buddha, were 
Karma Yogis. They worked for human- 
ity through love, and showed by their ex- 
ample how perfect freedom can be attained 
by right work. Buddha did not preach 

the worship of a personal God, but he es- 

92 



Karma Yoga 

tablished the truth that those who do not 

believe in a personal God and who are not 

devotional, can reach the highest goal of 

all religions by the path of Karma Yoga. 
93 



Bhakti Yoga 



Bhakti Yoga teaches that the final end 
of all religions can be reached through 
love and worship of the personal God, who 
is the Creator and Governor of the phe- 
nomenal universe. It leads to the same 
destination as all the other branches of 
Yoga, but is especially suited for such as 
are emotional in their nature and have 
the feeling of love and devotion highly 
developed. It is for those devotees who, 
conscious of their own weakness arising 
from lack of self-control and of knowledge, 
seek help from outside; and who, taking 
refuge in the Supreme, pray to Him for 
forgiveness and for pardon of sins com- 
mitted through ignorance of the moral and 

spiritual laws that govern our lives. 
94 



Bhakti Yoga 

All duallstic systems of religion, like 
Christianity, Judaism, and Mahometanism, 
which advocate the worship of a personal 
God, knowingly or unknowingly preach 
Bhakti Yoga and direct their adherents 
along this path. 

The word " Bhakti " means devotion, 
while Yoga in this case signifies union of 
the individual soul with God. Hence 
Bhakti Yoga is the method of devotion 
by which true communion of the soul with 
the Supreme Deity is accomplished. It 
shows what kind of devotion and love for 
God will bring the soul into the most in- 
timate relation with the Divine Being; and 
how even the ordinary feelings of a human 
heart, when directed Godward, can become 
the means of attaining spiritual oneness 
with the Soul of the universe. Raja Yoga 
tells us that desire, passion, love, hatred, 

pride, anger, must be completely con- 
95 



How to be a Yogi 

quered before perfection can be reached. 
A student of Raja Yoga must not only 
keep constant watch over his mind, but he 
must also faithfully practice the eight steps 
already described, if he would achieve his 
highest ideal; while in Bhakti Yoga we 
learn that all desires and passions, whether 
good or bad, can be directed towards God. 
Then, instead of binding the soul to world- 
liness and earthly attachment, they be- 
come a means of attaining God-conscious- 
ness and absolute freedom from selfishness 
and wickedness. 

A follower of Bhakti Yoga should feel 
God as closely related to his soul as he pos- 
sibly can ; and regard Him not only as the 
Lord of the universe, but as father, 
mother, brother, sister, friend, or child. 
Even the relation existing between hus- 
band and wife may be cultivated and 
developed in the heart of a lover of 



96 



Bhakti Yoga 

God, intoxicated by the soul-stirring wine 
of Divine Love. When the whole heart 
and soul of a Bhakta or lover of God flow 
like the unbroken current of a mighty 
river, surmounting all barriers and dashing 
headlong toward the ocean of Divinity, he 
finds no other attraction in the world, 
holds no other thought, cherishes no other 
desire, speaks no other word, and sees no 
other thing than his most Beloved, the 
Omnipresent Deity. He resigns himself 
entirely to Him and surrenders his will to 
the will of the Almighty One. He works, 
but without thinking of results. Every 
action of his body and mind is performed 
simply to please his Beloved One. His 
motive power is love alone and by this he 
breaks asunder the chain of selfishness, 
transcends the law of Karma, and becomes 
free. Thus a true Bhakti Yogi, being con- 
stantly in tune with the Infinite, loses the 
97 



How to be a Yogi 

sense of "I," "Me," and "Mine," and 

makes room for " Thou," " Thee," and 

" Thine." 

A Bhakta never forgets his relation to 

his Beloved. His mind is concentrated 

and one-pointed ; consequently meditation 

becomes easy for him. True devotion or 

continuous remembrance of the Divine 

Ideal leads to unceasing meditation, and 

ultimately lifts the soul into Samadhi, 

where it realizes God and communes with 

Him undisturbed by any other thought, 

feeling, idea, or sensation. Becoming 

dead to sense phenomena, it lives on 

the spiritual plane of God-consciousness. 

Wherever such a Yogi casts his eyes, he 

sees the presence of the All-pervading 

Divinity and enjoys unbounded peace and 

happiness at every moment of his life. It 

is for this reason that Bhakti Yoga is 

considered to be the easiest of all 
98 



Bhakti Yoga 

methods. What a Raja Yogi attains only 
after years of practice, a Bhakta accom- 
pHshes in a short time through extreme 
devotion and love. That which a Karma 
Yogi finds so difficult to achieve, a Bhakti 
Yogi attains easily by offering the fruits of 
all his works to the Almighty Source of all 
activity and the ultimate end of all motives. 

Bhakti Yoga has two grades, — the first 
is called " Gauni," or preparatory and in- 
cludes all the preliminary practices; the 
second is " Para," or the state of supreme 
love and devotion to God. A beginner in 
Bhakti Yoga should first of all prepare the 
ground of his heart by freeing it from at- 
tachment to earthly objects and sense- 
pleasures; then by arousing in it extreme 
longing to see God, to realize Divinity, to 
go to the Source of all knowledge, and to 
reach perfection and God-consciousness in 
this life. He must be absolutely earnest 

iL.ofO. ^^ 



How to be a Yogi 

and sincere. He should seek the company 
of a true lover of God, whose life is pure 
and spotless, who has renounced all world- 
ly connections, and who has realized the 
true relation which the individual soul 
bears to the Universal Spirit. If, by good 
fortune, he meets such a real Bhakta, he 
should receive from him the seed of Bhakti, 
plant it in the ground of his heart, and 
by faithfully following the instructions of 
the master, take special care to keep it 
alive and make it grow, until it becomes a 
large tree bearing the fruit of Divine Love. 
He should have respect, reverence, and 
love for his master, who will open his 
spiritual eye and transmit his own spiritual 
powers to his soul. When these powers 
begin to work, the soul will be awakened 
from the deep sleep of ignorance and self- 
delusion. 

The Guru, or spiritual eye-opener, know- 
100 



Bhakti Yoga 

ing the natural tendency of the disciple, 
will advise him to look upon God as his 
Master, or as his Father or Mother, and 
will thus establish a definite relation be- 
tween his soul and God. Henceforth the 
disciple should learn to worship or pray to 
the Supreme through this particular rela- 
tion. At this stage symbols, rituals, cer- 
emonies may appeal to his mind; or he 
may repeat some name of the Lord that 
signifies the special aspect of the Divinity 
corresponding to the relation which he 
bears to Him. Constant repetition of such 
a name will help the mind of the neophyte 
to become concentrated upon the Divine 
Being. During this period he should avoid 
such company, such places, and such 
amusements as make him forget his chosen 
Ideal. He should live a chaste and pure 
life, always discriminating right from 

wrong and struggling to control his pas- 
101 



How to be a Yogi 

sions and desires by directing them God- 
ward. He should be angry with himself 
for not realizing his ideal; he should hate 
his sinful nature because it keeps him away 
from the path of Bhakti and prevents him 
from remembering his Beloved. Thus he 
will gradually succeed in correcting his 
faults and in gaining control over his 
animal nature. 

A traveller on the path of Bhakti should 
observe cleanliness of body and mind, 
should be truthful, and lead a simple life, 
without injuring any living creature men- 
tally or physically. He should not kill any 
animal for his food, neither should he covet 
that which does not belong to him. He 
should, furthermore, obey the laws of 
health which tend to make him physically 
strong, as well as those moral laws the 
violation of which weakens the mind. 

So long as the devotee thinks of God 
103 



Bhakti Yoga 

with a form and believes that He is outside 
of his soul and of the universe, he can make 
a mental picture of Him and worship the 
Divine Ideal through that form ; or he may- 
keep before him some symbolic figure like 
the cross which will remind him of his Ideal 
at the time of devotion. But a Bhakta 
should never mistake the imaginary form 
or the symbolic figure for the real Ideal. 
Wherever there is such a mistake there is 
to be found spiritual degeneration and the 
expression of ignorance in the form of 
sectarianism, bigotry, fanaticism. 

Gradually, as the Bhakti approaches 
God, he will rise above such dualistic con- 
ceptions and realize that his Beloved is not 
only transcendent but immanent in nature, 
that nature is His body, that He dwells 
everywhere, that He is the Soul of our 
souls and the Life of our life, that He is the 

one stupendous Whole while we are but 
103 



How to be a Yogi 

His parts. The Bhakta then reaches 
that state which is called qualified 
non-dualism. He sees that from the 
minutest insect up ' to man all living 
creatures are related to the Iswara * 
as a part is related to the whole. There- 
fore he cannot kill or injure any living 
being. Understanding that everything 
pertaining to any part belongs in reality to 
the whole, he says, " Whatever is mine is 
Thine " ; and it is from this moment that 
absolute self-resignation and self-surrender 
to the will of the Iswara begin to reign 
supreme in the soul of the Yogi. Then he 
is able to say from the bottom of his heart, 
" Let Thy will be done," and never again 
can he forget that his soul is a part of the 
Iswara. His devotion henceforth consists 
in remembering this new relation, and his 

* The most appropriate Sanskrit word for God who is 
the all-pervading, internal Ruler of the universe. 
104 



Bhakti Yoga 

worship takes a new form. Whatever he 
does with mind or body becomes an act of 
worship of the Supreme Whole, for he 
reahzes that he possesses no power that 
does not belong to God. Eating, drinking, 
walking, talking, and every other work of 
his daily life become acts of devotion, and 
the entire existence of such a Bhakta is a 
continuous series of acts of worship. Then 
the heart is purified and selfishness is dead. 
The devotee thus rises to the second 
grade of Bhakti Yoga and begins to taste 
that Divine Love which is the fruit of the 
tree of Bhakti. Here all distinction be- 
tween lover and Beloved disappears ; the 
lover, the Beloved and Love all merge into 
one ocean of Divinity. The soul of the 
Bhakta is transformed, and manifesting 
omniscience, God-consciousness, perfect 
freedom, and all other Divine qualities, it 

attains to the highest ideal of Bhakti Yoga. 
105 



Jn^na Yoga 



The last is Jnana Yoga, the path of wis- 
dom. The word " Jnana," being derived 
from the Sanskrit root " Jna," to know, 
means knowledge; and the ideal which it 
holds up before its followers is the realiza- 
tion of that Absolute Truth, which is the 
one common source of all subjective and 
objective phenomena in the universe. It 
teaches that there is one life, one Being, 
one Reality, and that all notions of dis- 
tinction and differentiation, that all beliefs 
in the permanent duality or multiplicity of 
existence are unreal and illusory. 

Jnana Yoga is based entirely upon the 

monistic principles of the Advaita or non- 

duaHstic system of Vedanta. Its purpose 

is to show that subject and object are but 
106 



Jnina Yoga 

the two expressions of one Absolute Being 
or Substance; that God and man, the 
Creator and the created, are only different 
aspects of one Universal Reality. Its aim 
is to resolve the divers phenomena into 
one ultimate Being, from which proceed all 
powers and all forces manifested in external 
and internal nature, and which is the abode 
of infinite intelligence and eternal happi- 
ness. 

According to Jnana Yoga, matter, mind, 
intellect, sense-powers, names, and forms 
are but the apparent manifestations of that 
one Substance which is called in Sanskrit 
Brahman. They may appear to us as real, 
but they have in truth only relative reality. 
The phenomena of the universe are like the 
waves in the ocean of Brahman. As waves 
rise in the sea, and after playing for a while, 
once more merge into it, so the waves of 

subject and object rise, live, and dissolve 
107 



How to be a Yogi 

in the ocean of that Absolute Substance 
Brahman. Brahman is described in Ve- 
danta as " That of which all animate and 
inanimate objects are born, by which they 
live, and into which they return after dis- 
solution. It should be known and realized 
by all." It is the essence of Divinity. It 
is like the eternal canvas upon which the 
Creator or the Cosmic Ego and the created 
or individual egos are painted by Maya, 
the inscrutable creative power of the In- 
finite Being. 

The chief object of Jnana Yoga is to 
unify God and the individual Soul and to 
show the absolute oneness that exists be- 
tween them on the highest spiritual plane. 
The individual ego; being the reflection or 
image of Divinity or Brahman, in its true 
nature is divine, and this true Self is known 
in Sanskrit as the Atman. The knowledge 

of this oneness of the Atman or subjective 
108 



Jnana Yoga 

reality with Brahman, the Universal Truth, 
is described in Jnana Yoga as the only 
means of attaining to complete liberation 
from the bondage of selfishness and from 
attachment to body and senses, which are 
the causes of all worldliness, unhappiness, 
and misery. The light of the knowledge 
of the Atman and of its unity with Brah- 
man alone will dispel the darkness of 
ignorance which prevents us from reaching 
the abode of Absolute Existence, Intel- 
ligence, and Bliss, and which now deludes 
us into identifying the individual Self with 
the body, senses, mind, and their modifica- 
tions. This ignorance is designated in 
Sanskrit Ai^idyd or ne-science, and is the 
source of all false knowledge, egotism, at- 
tachment to the lower self and to the 
world. Being deceived by the illusive 
power of Avidyd, we mistake body for soul 

and soul for body, matter for spirit and 
109 



How to be a Yogi 

spirit for matter. In ignorance of our true 
Self, we work solely to gratify selfish 
motives and to reap some result from our 
actions. But Jnana Yoga would waken us 
from this sleep of ignorance, by showing us 
that the Atman is immortal, unchangeable, 
all-knowing, and free by its own nature 
from eternity to eternity; that through 
the influence of Avidya, the individual ego 
thinks of itself as changeable and subject 
to birth and death, and forgetting that the 
fountain-head of freedom, knowledge, and 
everlasting happiness is abiding within, it 
seeks knowledge and happiness from out- 
side and becomes the slave of desires and 
passions. It further reminds us that what- 
ever we think or perform mentally or phy- 
sically is like a dream in the sleep of self- 
delusion caused by the power of Avidya; 
that these dreams of the sleep of ignorance 

can be removed neither by work, nor by 
110 



Jnana Yoga 

devotion, nor by meditation, but by the 
light and power of Vidya, the knowledge 
of the Atman or Self and of its relation to 
Brahman. 

This knowledge cannot be obtained as 
the result of any virtuous act or prayer, but 
comes to the soul when the intellect and 
heart have been purified by unselfish and 
righteous works, and when the individual 
ego begins to discriminate between the real 
and unchangeable Atman and apparent 
and changeable matter or force. Jnana 
Yoga teaches that right discrimination and 
proper analysis are indispensable to the ac- 
quisition of knowledge of the true Self and 
of the Reality which underHes phenomenal 
objects. It also declares that knowledge 
of the Self will bring to the soul the realiza- 
tion of Absolute Truth more quickly than 
the practice of Raja, Karma, or Bhakti 

Yoga. 

Ill 



How to be a Yogi 

The path of wisdom, therefore, is best 
fitted for those earnest and sincere seekers 
after Truth who have no leaning towards 
active hfe, who are not devotional in their 
nature, but who are preeminently intel- 
lectual, and who, having realized the tran- 
sitory and ephemeral character of phe- 
nomenal objects, are no longer contented 
with sense-pleasures. It is for those who 
wish to be free from all fetters and attach- 
ments, and who care nothing for earthly 
prosperity, success, social honor, fame, or 
the fulfilment of personal ambitions; but 
whose sole desire is to know who they are 
in reality, what is their true nature, and 
what relation exists between their soul, 
God, and the universe. 

A traveller along this path should be 
philosophical in tendency, should have a 
sharp intellect and a keen power of analyz- 
ing the true nature of things. He should 
112 



Jnana Yoga 

also have a firm conviction that the ulti- 
mate Truth or Reality of the universe is 
unchangeable. Using the sword of right 
discrimination between the Self and the 
non-self, he should sever all ties, and should 
never allow himself to be overpowered by 
any external or internal influence. His 
mind should be undisturbed by passions or 
desires, his senses well controlled, and his 
body strong, healthy, and capable of bear- 
ing all hardships as well as of overcoming 
all environmental conditions. He should 
have dispassion; and be ever ready to re- 
nounce anything that does not help him in 
his realization of Truth. He must have 
absolute confidence in the teachings of 
Jnana Yogins, or those who have become 
Seers of Truth by following the path of 
wisdom ; and he must likewise have faith 
in the final Truths expounded by the 

monistic system of Vedanta. 
113 



How to be a Yogi 

The mind of a beginner in Jnana Yoga 
must possess the power of perfect concen- 
tration and meditation ; and his soul must 
be filled with the longing for absolute free- 
dom from all relative conditions and from 
the laws which govern phenomena. He 
must realize that even the enjoyment of 
heavenly pleasures is a kind of bondage, 
since it keeps the soul entangled in the 
meshes of phenomenal relativity. Being 
well-armed with all these noble qualities as 
his weapons, a Jnana Yogi should fight 
against phenomenal appearances, and with 
the ideal of the unity of the true Self and 
the Absolute Brahman ever before his 
mind's eye, he should march onward 
toward its realization, breaking down all 
names and forms with the hammer of right 
analysis, and cleaving all ties of attachment 
with the sword of proper discrimination. 
Nor should he stop until the goal is 



114 



Jnana Yoga 

reached. He who goes through the path 
of wisdom, burns the vast forest of the trees 
of phenomenal names and forms by start- 
ing in it the fire of right knowledge. All 
these names and forms are produced by 
Maya, the inscrutable power of Brahman ; 
and according to Jnana Yoga this power 
of Maya is inseparable from Brahman as 
the power of heating Is inseparable from 
fire. A Jnana Yogi, in his search after 
Brahman, should reject all names and 
forms by saying " Not this," " Not this," 
until he realizes the one nameless, form- 
less, and absolute Being of the universe, 
where the subject and the object, the 
knower, knowledge, and its object, losing 
their relativity, merge into the infinite 
Ocean of Blissful Existence and Supreme 
Intelligence. 

A sincere seeker after Truth should hear 

over and over again that the Atman or 
115 



How to be a Yogi 

true Self is one with Brahman or the Eter- 
nal Truth ; and should repeat such phrases 
as " I am Brahman," " I am one with the 
Absolute Source of knowledge, existence, 
and bliss." He should constantly think of 
the meaning of " Tat Twam asi " — " That 
thou art," and should devote his time to 
meditating upon this oneness until the 
light of Brahman illumines his soul, dis- 
pelling the darkness of Avidyd and trans- 
forming his ego into the essence of 
Divinity. 

Instead of worshipping a personal God 
like a Bhakta, a Jnana Yogi should clearly 
understand the true significance of all His 
attributes as given in the different Script- 
ures — such as Creator or Governor of the 
universe. He is Spirit, infinite, omniscient, 
all-powerful, unchangeable, true, and one; 
and rejecting the worship of the personal 

God as an act proceeding from Avidya or 
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Jnana Yoga 

ignorance of the divine nature of the Self 
or Atman, he should seek that which is 
above all attributes and beyond all descrip- 
tions, which transcends the realm of 
thought and cannot be revealed by human 
intellect or understanding. He should 
realize that all conceptions of a personal 
God are more or less anthropomorphic, 
and that the Creator himself must be phe- 
nomenal since He can exist only in relation 
to the created object. A Jnana Yogi, con- 
sequently, does not pray to the personal 
God or to any other Spirit or Being. To 
him prayers and devotions are useless and 
unnecessary. He does not seek any super- 
natural help or Divine mercy, for he is con- 
scious of the omnipotent and omniscient 
nature of the Atman, and knows that his 
true Self is beyond good and evil, above 
virtue and vice, unlimited by all laws, and 

that it reigns over nature in its own glory. 
117 



How to be a Yogi 

He feels that it is the same in essence as 
the Creator or personal God. Instead of 
identifying himself with body, mind, senses, 
or intellect, he always remembers that he 
is the Atman, which is birthless, death- 
less, sinless, fearless, immutable, eternally 
peaceful, and ever undisturbed by pleasant 
or unpleasant experiences, sensations, or 
mental and physical changes. 

A true Jnana Yogi constantly tries to 
keep himself above all phenomenal condi- 
tions, and incessantly repeats " I am Brah- 
man," " Soham "—I am He, I am He. He 
says within himself: 

" I am neither mind, nor intellect, nor 
ego, nor senses; I am neither earth, nor 
water, nor air, nor fire, nor ether, but my 
true nature is absolute existence, knowl- 
edge, and bliss. I am He, I am He." 
" I am neither the organic activity nor 

am I the elements of the body, neither the 
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JnSna Yoga 

sense of knowledge nor that of action, but 
I am absolute existence, knowledge, and 
bliss. I am He, I am He." 

" I have neither hatred nor love, neither 
greed nor delusion, neither egotism nor 
pride nor vanity, neither creed nor faith, 
nor aim nor desire for freedom. I am 
absolute existence, knowledge, and bliss. 
I am He, I am He." 

" I have neither virtue nor vice nor sin, 
neither pleasure nor pain, neither Scrip- 
tures nor rituals nor ceremonies. I am 
neither food nor am I the eater. I am 
absolute existence, knowledge, and bliss. 
I am He, I am He." 

" I have neither death nor fear of death, 

nor birth nor caste distinction; neither 

father nor mother, neither friend nor foe, 

neither master nor disciple. I am absolute 

existence, knowledge, and bliss. I am He, 

I am He." 

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How to be a Yogi 

" I have neither doubt nor question. I 
am formless and all-pervading. I am the 
eternal Lord of nature and the master of 
the senses. I am neither bound nor free. 
I am one with Brahman. I am; the omni- 
present Divinity, I am the immutable Lord 
of all. I am absolute existence, knowl- 
edge, and bliss. I am He, I am He." 

Thus constantly practicing discrimina- 
tion and rising above all relativity and phe- 
nomenal appearances, a Jnana Yogi real- 
izes the Absolute, Unchangeable, Eternal 
Truth in this life and ultimately becomes 
one with it; because Jnana Yoga declares 
that he who knows Brahman becomes 
Brahman, for the same reason that the 
knower of God can be no other than God 
himself. A Jnana Yogi never forgets that 
his true Self is Brahman. Having attained 
to this supreme God-consciousness, he 

lives in the world like an eternal witness of 
120 



Jnana Yoga 

all mental and physical changes. Ever 

happy and undisturbed, he travels from 

place to place, pointing out to mankind the 

way to absolute freedom and perfection. 

A perfect Jnana Yogi, indeed, lives as the 

embodiment of the Absolute Divinity on 

this earth. 

121 



Science of Breathing 



Science of Breathing 

The Science of Yoga with its various 
branches justly claims, as we have already 
seen, to unravel the mysteries of life and 
death. Some of the advanced thinkers in 
Western countries are beginning to under- 
stand the importance of this noble science 
and to explain the problems of existence 
by it; but modern physiologists, anato- 
mists, biologists, and medical practitioners 
are still uncertain as to the proper solution 
of these problems; the more they investi- 
gate, the more doubts arise in their minds. 
Within the last fifty years the various re- 
searches in the different departments of 

science, such as physics, chemistry, physio- 
135 



How to be a Yogi 

logy, and biology, have apparently ended 
in the conclusion that life is nothing but 
the result of physical and chemical actions 
in the organic structure, that there is no 
such thing as vital force distinct and 
separate from the physical and chemical 
forces which have been discovered in the 
scientist's laboratory. 

Some of the students of science are even 
anxiously waiting in the vain expectation 
that some day they will hear of the discov- 
ery of a substance, artificially produced in 
the laboratory, which will live, move, grow, 
multiply, and die like a particle of living 
matter. The majority of modern thinkers, 
in fact, hold that vitality is merely the re- 
sult of the mechanical activity of the or- 
gans; that life comes directly from dead 
matter, and obeys physical, chemical, and 
mechanical laws; that a Uving animal is 
nothing but a machine ; and that all of his 



126 



Science of Breathing 

actions whether of body or mind are purely 
mechanical. They say that a living pro- 
toplasm is only a combination of certain 
chemical elements, subject to ordinary 
chemical laws; that living and non-living 
are one; and that the living comes directly 
from the non-living. According to these 
scientists a human being is no more than a 
mechanical resultant of certain chemical 
changes governed by the laws of physical 
nature. If, however, we ask them what 
force it is that determines these physical 
and mechanical modifications, what is the 
power that causes all these chemical 
changes in such numberless varieties, they 
answer that they do not know. 

Are we really like machines, subject to 
mechanical laws and nothing more? Is 
our growth entirely due to the process of 
accretion and aggregation of matter in the 

non-living world? Are we merely some 
127 



How to be a Yogi 

accidental precipitation, deposition, or 
crystallization of atoms and molecules 
which are governed by no power higher 
than the chemico-physical forces? Stu- 
dents of physiology now learn in their 
text-books this physico-chemical theory 
of the origin of life. They laugh at those 
who use such expressions as " vital 
energy," " vital force," " vitality," or " life 
force," in the sense of some power separate 
and distinct from the physico-chemical 
forces of nature. In fact, when they study 
physiology they throw aside all ideas of 
vitality or life force; they believe in a na- 
ture devoid of vitality or life, and try to ex- 
plain the formation of brain cells, nerves, 
tissues, and the construction of the various 
organs of a living animal without recogniz- 
ing the existence of a vital agency. A re- 
action, however, has taken place recently 

in Europe, and a class of scientific thinkers 
128 



Science of Breathing 

has appeared, Dr. Lionel S. Beale being 
the most prominent, who, having found no 
satisfactory explanation of life through 
these theories, have, after closer observa- 
tion and experiment, come to the conclu- 
sion that there is a vital force entirely dis- 
tinct from mechanical or physico-chemical 
forces, and which manifests itself through 
living particles of matter. 

It is true that the human body is a 
machine, but not like any machine made 
by man. It is a self-moving, self-regulat- 
ing, and self-adjusting, vital machine gov- 
erned by will-power and intelligence. It 
was produced by a germ of life which pos- 
sessed vitality, and which had the capabil- 
ity of becoming conscious, of willing, 
thinking, and producing psychic activity, 
in which are included all emotions and 
thoughts belonging to a human being. 

By a germ of life is meant that germ of 
129 



How to be a Yogi 

matter or substance which contains the 
potentiality of life and mind. Although 
the manifestation of this vital force de- 
pends upon organic structure, still it is not 
the same as any of the familiar forces 
known to us ; it is not like heat, electricity, 
magnetism, or molecular attraction. On 
the contrary, it is a force which governs 
and directs all these grosser physical 
forces. It is the director of the telegraphic 
current which notifies the energy of the 
muscle when and how to exert itself. It 
coordinates all automatic movements, con- 
trols the system as a whole as well as in 
detail, and is itself the principle of purely 
animal life. The special organ through 
which it functions chiefly, and which has 
been constructed to differentiate it from 
other energies, to give it a form and a pur- 
pose, and to afford it a vehicle of expres- 
sion, is the spinal nerve of the vertebrate 
130 



Science of Breathing 

and the equivalent organ in other animals. 
This mysterious and invisible vital 
energy or vital force is called in Sanskrit 
" Prana." That branch of the Science 
of Yoga which treats of this mysterious 
force, describing its origin and nature, and 
teaching how it can be controlled and 
utilized to produce wonderful results, is 
known as the Science of Prana. Ordinarily 
it is translated into English by the word 
" Breath," and called the " Science of 
Breath " ; but Prana is not simple breath. 
In the Upanishads it is defined as the cause 
of all motion and life in both the organic 
and inorganic worlds. Wherever there is 
the slightest expression of motion, life, or 
mind, from the smallest atom, or animal- 
cule, or amoeba, or hioplasm, up to the 
largest solar system and the highest man, 
it is the manifestation of the all-pervading 

force called Prana. It is one, yet appears 
131 



How to be a Yogi 

as manifold through its divers expressions. 
It is the mother of all forces, psychical, 
chemical, and physical. Vedanta Philos- 
ophy describes it as the ultimate generali- 
zation of the multiple forces of nature. It 
is indestructible ; the death of the form 
through which it manifests cannot destroy 
it ; but it must not be confounded with 
molecular attraction for it is much finer; 
it cannot be seen, touched, weighed, meas- 
ured, or captured by any means. 

According to Vedanta, before the begin- 
ning of creation the unconditioned causal 
state of the universe contained potential 
Prana; Vedanta does not make the absurd 
statement that life has come from non-life. 
It does not admit that vital energy is the 
result of mechanical forces, but, on the con- 
trary, tells us that it is a force which oper- 
ates simultaneously with physico-chemical 

forces. They are all, in fact, expressions 
133 



Science of Breathing 

of the one Hving energy of Prana. Al- 
though some of the modern scientific 
monists acknowledge that all matter and 
force spring from a common source, or 
from one eternal energy, still at the same 
time they deny the existence of life or 
vitality in that energy and declare that it is 
not living. They try to prove that life is 
the product of some kind of motion of 
dead matter; while Vedanta teaches that 
all the phenomena of the universe have 
evolved out of the one eternal substance 
which possesses Prana or cosmic vital 
force, cosmic mind, cosmic intelligence, 
and consciousness. These may be inter- 
dependent, but as they all exist in a human 
being, so the infinite variety of forces exist 
in that one eternal living Being whose 
body is the universe. 

The Science of Yoga claims that this 

Prana is the final cause of all the mani- 
133 



How to be a Yogi 

fested forces of nature. Why does an atom 
move and vibrate? A scientist does not 
know, but a Yogi says because of Prana. 
That force which produces vibration in an 
atom or a molecule is one of the expres- 
sions of the energy of Prana or the cosmic 
Life-principle. The same Prana appears 
as that power by which a germ of life 
works on the physical plane, arouses 
motion in the molecules of its cells and 
builds up a suitable structure, repairs in- 
juries and reproduces its kind. It causes 
activity in a protoplasm, in a bioplasm or 
an amoeba, as well as in the highest man. 
It is closely related to the mind, which in- 
cludes all the psychic activities and intelli- 
gence displayed by that germ in the dif- 
ferent grades of its evolution. Vital power 
and mind are, indeed, two aspects of one 
Prana. A germ of life possesses mentality 

as well as vitality, and the phenomena of 
134 



Science of Breathing 

these two aspects are most intimately con- 
nected with one another. In the science of 
Yoga the relation between mind and Prana 
is described as that of a horse and a rider, 
Prana being the horse which the individual 
mind rides. The body moves like an auto- 
mobile carriage when it is propelled from 
within by the force of Prana and guided by 
the driver of the intelligent mind. The 
activity of the mechanism of the body 
stops if Prana or vital force ceases to 
vibrate. Again, when the vibration of 
Prana is arrested, the mind no longer oper- 
ates on the physical plane. It is for this 
reason that vital force or Prana is called 
the medium through which the mind ex- 
presses its powers on the physical plane. 

The animal organism is nothing but a 
mechanism for the manifestation of the 
powers of the soul. When the soul 

wishes to express certain powers on 
135 



How to be a Yogi 

the material plane it creates through 
Prana some suitable organism to ful- 
fill its desire. If the mental activities of 
any living creature change, the organic 
structure of the nerves and cells will also 
change. Various experiments have been 
made by different scientists which clearly 
show that mental effort underlies all phy- 
siological conditions and organic functions. 
An abnormal activity of the mind will in- 
variably give rise to certain pathological 
conditions-, because it will affect the vital 
action; and when the vital power, which 
gives life to every cell of the body, is in- 
fluenced, the cells will begin to vibrate in 
a different manner; and the result will be 
abnormal activity in the cells of the 
organs, which in turn will produce various 
diseases. Conversely, when the vital activ- 
ity is normal, the psychic function is also 

natural. The mind is just as much affected 
136 



Science of Breathing 

by a diseased body as the physical system 

is disturbed by a diseased mind. He who 

can regulate his mentalities knows how to 

preserve his vitality and keep a healthy 

body; while he who has control over his 

vital functions understands the secret of 

keeping a healthy mind. The man who is 

thus able to dominate both body and mind 

is the master of himself, the king in his 

own conscious domain. But he who is 

not the master of himself lives like a slave 

to passion, to sense-objects, to wealth, 

property, ambition, and all earthly desires. 

Those who do not know how to regulate 

their vital forces are always unhappy, for 

they constantly suffer either mentally or 

physically. 

Every irregular activity of the mind will 

produce chemical and physiological change 

in the nerve centers, in the organs, and 

;eventually in the whole body. This can be 
137 



How to be a Yogi 

shown by analyzing the chemical proper- 
ties of the secretions of different organs, 
and especially by analyzing the breath. If 
we analyze the breath of a person who is 
strongly moved by anger or any other vio- 
lent passion, we shall find that his whole 
system is poisoned for the time being. By 
letting his breath pass through a certain 
solution in a glass tube, we shall readily 
see that distinct changes are produced in 
the solution. These variations, further- 
more, are only the outward signs of the 
internal modifications that have taken 
place in the entire nervous system. It is, 
in fact, these organic changes that modify 
the breath; but in a normal, healthy state 
of mind and body the chemical solution will 
remain perfectly unchanged. The breath- 
ing is then regular, deep, and strong. 
Every impulse of passion that takes pos- 
session of the mind, causes a corresponH- 
138 



Science of Breathing 

ing variation in the respiratory functions; 
anger, hatred, or jealousy for instance, are 
marked by short, quick breath, while 
thoughts of peace, of true happiness, and 
of divine love produce long, deep breath. 

There are various ways of learning the 
relation that exists between vital activity 
and mentality. A Yogi says that all ab- 
normal and diseased conditions of the body 
are caused directly by imperfect or weak 
expression of the vital energy, and in- 
directly by improper mental activity. The 
curing of a disease, therefore, means the 
removing of the obstacles which prevent 
the Prana from working in an absolutely 
normal way. This can be done either by 
physical processes or by regulating the 
mental functions. A Yogi heals disease in 
him'self by increasing the vital action; by 
rousing the latent powers of the Prana, 

which is the source of all Hfe force. He 
139 



How to be a Yogi 

knows how to fill his whole body, nay, 
every cell, with increased vitality. By reg- 
ulating the polarity of the cells through the 
higher vibrations of Prana he generates a 
strong current of vibratory Prana, directs 
its course through the disordered cells of 
his organs, and changes the structure of 
these cells by creating a rapid circulation 
of the blood charged with the healing 
power of Prana, and sending it to the parts 
affected. In this way the cells are restored 
to their normal condition and the disease is 
cured. The Yogi does this consciously 
and in the most scientific manner with the 
help of breathing exercises accompanied 
by concentration. According to the Sci- 
ence of Yoga all nervous currents and 
all molecular motion in the brain cells and 
nerve centers are caused by this Prana. If 
the molecules of the cells be filled with a 

new and strong current of Prana or vital 
140 



Science of Breathing 

force, their vibration will be enormously 
increased; and this will enable them to 
throw off the impure matter that retarded 
their natural activity, and recover their 
normal healthy condition. 

The same Prana is also the propelling 
power in circulation. A Yogi says that 
the vital energy is stored up in the nerve 
centers of the spinal cord. It is the cause 
of the motion of the lungs, which in turn 
produces respiration; and respiration is 
the cause of the circulation of the blood 
and of all other organic activity. Modern 
physiology tells us that every portion of 
our body, every tissue and cell breathes; 
that the lung is nothing more than an in- 
strument in the respiratory process, the 
chemical operation, which is the essential 
part of this function, occurring elsewhere 
in the cells and tissues themselves. The 

lung Is only the door through which 
141 



How to be a Yogi 

oxygen enters the system. The physiol- 
ogists of the eighteenth century held quite 
different views; even the father of modern 
chemistry, Lavoisier himself (i 743-1 794), 
supposed that the main act of respiration 
took place in the lungs. What really hap- 
pens is that oxygen, introduced into the 
lungs, filters through the thin walls of the 
pulmonary capillaries, where it finds in the 
red corpuscles of the blood a substance 
called hemoglobin, with which it unites to 
form a compound known as oxy-hemo- 
globin. And a very unstable compound it 
is, for throughout the tissues, in the capil- 
lary vessels of the whole body, oxygen is 
allowed to escape freely and to effect its 
work upon the cells". The blood, there- 
fore, is merely a vehicle. The " organic 
combustions " do not occur in the lungs, 
their seat being in the cells and tissues 

throughout the whole system. 
142 



Science of Breathing 

Physiological chemistry tells us that all 
things mineral, vegetable, and animal, are 
mainly composed of four principal ele- 
ments — oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and 
nitrogen. Of these oxygen is of the 
greatest importance, since it is the most 
widely diffused, constituting by weight 
one-fifth of the atmosphere, eight-ninths of 
the ocean and all water, nearly one-half of 
solid rock and of every solid substance, and 
more than one-half of all vegetables and 
animals. If a man weighs one hundred 
and fifty pounds, one hundred and ten of 
his weight is oxygen. It is the chief cause 
of all activity in mechanical, chemical, mus- 
cular, and mental forces. The amount of 
energy or activity of an animal is deter- 
mined by the amount of oxygen he re- 
spires; and the degree of force manifested 
in the human organism is in proportion to 

the rate at which oxygen is introduced into 
143 



How to be a Yogi 

the system. It is the first requisite of vital 
action. Without it all other materials of 
life will be of little avail; and the respira- 
tory organs are the medium through which 
it enters the system. The blood which has 
been once used in our bodies would be of 
no further service if it were not purified by 
the lungs. Ordinarily air when inhaled, 
contains 21 per cent oxygen, and when 
exhaled, 12 per cent, having lost 9 per 
cent. In a healthy adult man the average 
pulsation is 75 in a minute and about two 
ounces of blood are driven by each pulsa- 
tion from the heart to the lungs, or nine 
pounds and six ounces in a minute. The 
quantity of blood in the human body is 
considered to be about one-fifth of the 
weight of the entire body, or twenty-eight 
pounds in a man weighing one hundred 
and forty pounds. The full quantity of 

blood in the system will, therefore, flow 
144 



Science of Breathing 

through the lungs in the short period of 
three minutes; in other words, the vast 
amount of thirteen thousand five hundred 
pounds in every twenty-four hours. 

It is well known now that as a rule only 
one-sixth of the full capacity of the lungs 
is used; if the remaining five-sixths were 
properly brought into play who can say 
what marvellous results might not follow? 
Nature has not given capacity to any 
organ without a purpose ; and we are sure 
that, if every one were to use the full capac- 
ity of his lungs, weak or diseased lungs 
would be a thing of the past. If we under- 
stand the science of breathing, we can 
develop our lung power to its utmost 
capacity; then by well-regulated breathing 
exercises we can purify every particle of 
matter in the cells of the organs, and with 
the help of the current of Prana can ulti- 
mately drive out all physical weakness. 
145 



How to be a Yogi 

Faith-healers, mental-healers, and Chris- 
tian Scientists cure disease without giving 
drugs ; the Yogis of India do the same, but 
in a more scientific manner. Faith-healers 
and Christian Scientists ask us to believe in 
a certain thing and to declare that we are 
r not suffering. A Yogi says that we can 
get better and surer results if through 
breathing exercises we can control the 
Prana, increase the vital current, and fill 
the whole system with the healing power of 
Prana. By polarizing the activity of the 
cells, and removing the obstacles that pre- 
vent the proper manifestation of the vital 
current in those cells, we shall get rid of 

the disease. If mental-healers and faith- 

I 

healers knew the secret of controlling the 

Prana, they would have been undoubtedly 

more successful in their attempts. Some 

among them are now beginning to take up 

breathing exercises, and perhaps in time 
146 



Science of Breathing 

they will learn the truths contained in the 
wonderful science of breathing. 

Generally people who know nothing of 
this science think that it teaches merely 
the mechanical process of breathing in and 
out; but its province is much more ex- 
tended, for it likewise shows how to con- 
trol the Prana, how to increase the vitality 
of the system by generating new nerve 
currents of a higher order, how to polarize 
the vibration of the cells, and how to 
awaken those powers which lie dormant 
on the sub-conscious plane as well as 
in the nerve centers of the spine. It also 
tells us that when the powers begin to 
manifest, we rise above the influences and 
changes to which ordinary mortals are sub- 
ject. India is the only country where from 
ancient times this science of breathing has 
been carefully studied in all its aspects by 

the Yogis. Through centuries of investi- 
147 



How to be a Yogi 

gation they discovered different methods 
of regulating the breath, following which 
marvellous results, both mental and phy- 
sical, could be obtained. Out of these 
various discoveries grew up the science of 
breathing, which, besides the control of the 
breath, also explains what relation the pro- 
cess of respiration bears to Prana, and 
how, by harmonizing the vibrations of 
nerve cells with the higher laws of life 
force, one gains mastery over Prana. This 
control of Prana brings complete subjuga- 
tion of all the forces which govern the 
mind and body. 

The aim of a Yogi is to establish abso- 
lute harmony between his vital actions and 
his mental functions, to transcend all laws, 
to rise above the influence of ah environ- 
mental conditions, and to be the supreme 
ruler of the mind and of the entire system. 

According to the Yogi, this perfect self- 
148 



Science of Breathing 

mastery and consequent freedom do not 
come to one who has has not learned the 
secret of regulating the vital energy, and 
who has not acquired the power to direct 
it wherever it is needed. Before anyone 
can control this invisible vital force, he 
must know its principal seat in the body; 
he must learn where this unseen king of 
physical activities is enthroned, who are his 
attendants, and how he governs his king- 
dom. 

A Yogi says that the king or Prana re- 
sides with his attendants in the nerve cen- 
ters of the spinal column. These centers 
are the main stations where this vital force 
is stored. There are many centers in the 
spinal cord out of which proceed the motor 
and sensory nerves which cover the whole 
body, including its organs. All sensations 
and motions of the limbs depend upon 

these nerve centers in the spinal column 
149 



How to be a Yogi 

and the brain. There are two currents 
which flow in and out of the brain through 
the spinal column and nerves; they are 
called afferent and efferent currents — in 
Sanskrit, "Ida" and '^ Pingala." They 
run through the anterior and posterior 
channels of the spinal cord, and these fur- 
nish the two paths over which the currents 
of Prana travel. The nervous energy itself 
being scattered throughout the system, 
the only means of regulating it is by con- 
trolling the principal centers or stations in 
the spinal column. If, therefore, any one 
wishes to control the Prana, he must first 
learn to govern the chief stations through 
which it works. After studying the rela- 
tion of these different centers the Yogis 
found that there were six of primary im- 
portance. Those who wish to know their 
names can refer to the volume on " Raja 

Yoga " by the Swami Vivekananda. 
150 



Science of Breathing 

According to the science of breath, the 
King of these six leading nerve centers in 
the spinal cord is enthroned in the center 
opposite the thorax; it is the respiratory- 
center and in Sanskrit bears the name 
" Anahata." It moves the lungs, causes 
respiration, and gives activity to all the 
other centers, which are dependent on it. 
If the royal center is disturbed or vibrates 
abnormally, those which are subject to it, 
and through them the whole system will 
act in a corresponding manner; and the 
result will be disease, organic trouble, or 
continued ill-health. So long, however, 
as the royal center is in a normal con- 
dition, the movement of the lungs which 
causes inspiration and expiration will be 
regular. Therefore the Yogi who desires 
to subjugate the nerve centers first strives 
to gain control over the respiratory center. 

The science of breathing teaches that, by 
151 



How to be a Yogi 

regulating the breath, the motion of the 
lungs and the functions of the whole 
nervous system can be regulated. It also 
says that, by controlling the nerve centers 
in the spinal column, mastery over the cur- 
rents flowing throughout the system, and 
ultimately over the mind itself, with its 
various dormant powers, can be easily 
gained. If the mental powers that are now 
latent on the subconscious plane can be 
aroused, all the experiences of past incar- 
nations, and the impressions gathered dur- 
ing previous lives, will come up on the con- 
scious plane and we shall remember them 
all. 

The Yogis say that the great majority of 
people breathe irregularly and that there 
are differences in the breathings of men 
and women. The causes of this irregular 
breathing are many — food, drink, fear, 

sickness, sorrow, nervous excitement, pas- 
153 



Science of Breathing 

sion, anxiety. These do not affect the 
breath directly, but they do influence it in- 
directly by producing abnormal activity of 
Prana, first in the nerve centers, then in the 
movement of the lungs, which expresses 
outwardly as irregular breathing. Hence 
irregularity of the breath is the external 
sign of abnormal action of the respiratory 
center in the spine. 

A Yogi whose respiratory center func- 
tions regularly and is under perfect con- 
trol is free from weakness, ill-health, and 
all disease. As, by controlling the activity 
of Prana in the nerve centers, the move- 
ment of the lungs and the respiration are 
regulated, so, conversely, by regulating the 
breath, the lungs and nerve centers will be 
controlled, for they work simultaneously. 
Those who are suffering from ill-health 
should devote especial attention to the 

study of the science of breathing, as it is 
153 



How to be a Yogi 

absolutely necessary to the building up of 
a healthy mind and a healthy body. 

The chief aim of a Yogi is to observe his 
own nature closely and to learn clearly 
what forces are operating in his system, 
and what relation they bear to one another ; 
for by gaining a complete knowledge of his 
own nature he will gain correct knowledge 
of the whole universe, since the laws that 
govern the human body are universal. All 
these laws are nothing but the modes in 
which Prana operates in nature. There- 
fore a Yogi seeks first to understand the 
individual Prana and the vital laws which 
govern his own system. 

In India this fact was recognized and the 
science of breathing was carefully studied 
by the sages, who had no other ambition 
or purpose in life than to acquire knowl- 
edge for its own sake. They explained 

this science, practiced breathing exercises 
154 



Science of Breathing 

(noting the results), and instructed their 
pupils, but not to make a profession of it, 
or to earn money, or to gain fame in 
society. On the contrary, they refused to 
teach those who came to learn for profes- 
sional ends; and it is because of this dis- 
interestedness on their part that the knowl- 
edge of the Yogis is so pure and unadul- 
terated by ambition or selfish motives. 
They also realized the dangers which might 
arise from^ ignorant practice of these exer- 
cises. Those who are studying under in- 
experienced teachers should be on their 
guard, for there is great risk in letting the 
nerve currents flow in a wrong direction. 
It may produce abnormal results and 
may even end in mental disorder. Right 
breathing, on the contrary, brings the 
greatest benefits to mankind when prop- 
erly practiced; but if it is abused it must 

do a corresponding amount of harm, just 
165 



How to be a Yogi 

as any medicine will when improperly ap- 
plied. As by studying Materia Medica a 
man cannot cure himself without the aid 
of a trained physician, so the mere study 
of Yoga cannot bring about truly good 
results unless it is carried on under the 
guidance of an experienced Yogi. It 
should be remembered, furthermore, that 
in a written book everything is not given, 
that each constitution is different from 
every other, and that that which is helpful 
to one may not be so to another. 

Anyone who practices faithfully, accord- 
ing to the instructions of an experienced 
living teacher, will surely gain highly bene- 
ficial results both in mind and body. He 
will learn how to manufacture vital force 
and to increase the vitality of his whole 
organism. He will be able to remove all 
impurities from his system and to over- 
come all abnormal and diseased conditions, 
156 



Science of Breathing 

that is, where decomposition and disorgan- 
ization have not advanced too far. He 
will likewise no longer be a victim to cold, 
chills, Grip, fever, rheumatism, stiffness of 
the joints or muscles, paralysis, and other 
ills; for he knows how he can remove 
them by increasing the vibrations of Prana 
and thus giving new life to the cells of the 
organs. 

Every individual, whether old or young, 
man or woman, is bound to get some re- 
sult if the breathing exercises be practiced 
faithfully for six months. By breathing 
exercises, however, is not meant here 
merely deep breathing, such as is taught 
by teachers of music, Delsarte, or physical 
culture. Deep breathing is very good for 
drawing a full supply or oxygen into the 
system, and undoubtedly has its value, es- 
pecially lor women who wear tight dresses. 

Many of the diseases from which they 
157 



How to be a Yogi 

suffer are directly traceable to a lack of 
the adequate quantity of oxygen necessary 
for organic combustion and for the main- 
tenance of the activity of the organs. The 
organs of many people in this country are 
undeveloped, or abnormally developed, be- 
cause of the unnatural clothes worn; and 
for all such deep breathing will be exceed- 
ingly beneficial. But too much of it is in- 
jurious, as it inflates and strains the lungs, 
and, if continued, the increased develop- 
ment of the tissues will after a time decay 
and produce various troubles. Those who 
are taking lessons in deep breathing from 
inexperienced teachers should stop to con- 
sider this. By breathing exercises we mean 
that process by which control over the mo- 
tion of the lungs and of the nerve centers, 
as also, in the end, over the Prana or vital 
energy can be acquired. 

A Yogi declares that the practice of 
158 



Science of Breathing 

breathing will bring whatever result is 
desired, whether physical, psychical, or spi- 
ritual. He who has gained perfect control 
over his breath can suspend it for hours, 
and through this generate a power in the 
system which will levitate the body, even 
counteracting the tremendous force of 
gravitation. A Yogi conquers death by 
the control of Prana. There are many 
Yogis in India who can tell the exact 
moment when they will leave their bodies. 
They say, " I am going to depart on such a 
day at such an hour," and at the appointed 
time consciously give up their bodies in the 
presence of many. There are some again 
who can prolong life indefinitely, and can 
subsist for long periods without taking any 
kind of solid or liquid food. 

When so much can be accomplished 

through the control of the vital energy of 
159 



How to be a Yogi 

Prana, It is not strange that these Masters 
say to the world : 

" Oh, ye mortals, study the science of 
breathing; learn the secret of controlling 
Prana or the vital energy ; strive diligently 
to regulate the breath; for the control of 
Prana will bring all happiness, earthly and 
spiritual, and through it will come perfect 
health, mastery of the body, and that Su- 
preme Bliss which is eternal and everlast- 
ing. 

160 



Was Christ a Yogi? 



Was Christ a Yogi? 

In considering whether or not Christ 
was a Yogi we should first understand how 
spiritual and how divine one must be be- 
fore he can be called a Yogi. A true Yogi 
must be pure, chaste, spotless, self-sacrific- 
ing, and the absolute master of himself. 
Humility, unostentatiousness, forgiveness, 
uprightness, and firmness of purpose must 
adorn his character. A true Yogi's mind 
should not be attached to sense-objects or 
sense-pleasures. He should be free from 
egotism, pride, vanity, and earthly ambi- 
tion. Seeing the ephemeral nature of the 
phenomenal world, and reflecting upon 

the misery, suffering, sorrow, and disease 
163 



How to be a Yogi 

with which our earthly existence is beset, 
he should renounce his attachment to ex- 
ternal things, which produce but fleeting 
sensations of pleasure, and should over- 
come all that clinging to worldly life which 
is so strong in ordinary mortals. 

A true Yogi does not feel happy when 
he is in the company of worldly-minded 
people who live on the sense plane like 
animals. He is not bound by family ties. 
He does not claim that this is his wife and 
these are his children; but, on the con- 
trary, having realized that each individual 
soul, being a child of Immortal Bliss, be- 
longs to the Divine Family, he severs all 
family relations and worldly connections 
and thus becomes absolutely free. A true 
Yogi must always preserve his equanimity 
in the face of the unpleasant as well as of 
the pleasant experiences of life ; and ris- 
ing above good and evil he should remain 
164 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

undisturbed by the success or failure, the 
victory or defeat, which may come to him 
as the result of the actions of his body and 
mind. 

A true Yogi, again, must have unswerv- 
ing devotion to the Supreme Spirit, the 
Almighty and Omniscient Soul of our 
souls; and realizing that his body and 
mind are the playground of the omnipotent 
Cosmic will, be should resign his individual 
will to the universal, and should be ever 
ready to work for others, to live for others, 
and to die for others. All his works, so 
long as he is in the society of people, 
should be a free offering to the world for 
the good of humanity; but at other times 
he should resort to secluded places and live 
alone, constantly applying his mind to the 
highest spiritual wisdom that can be ob- 
tained in the state of superconsciousness, 

through meditation on the oneness of the 
165 



How to be a Yogi 

individual soul with God, the Universal 
Spirit. 

A true Yogi must see the same Divinity 
dwelling in all living creatures. He should 
also love all human beings equally. He 
should have neither friend nor foe in the 
ordinary sense of those terms. A true 
Yogi is illumined by the light of Divine 
Wisdom, therefore nothing remains un- 
known to him. Time and space cannot 
limit the knowledge and wisdom of a true 
Yogi. Past and future events will appear 
to him like things happening before his 
eyes. For him the light of divine wisdom 
has dispelled the darkness of ignorance, 
which prevents one from realizing the true 
nature of the soul, and which makes one 
selfish, wicked, and sinful. All psychic and 
spiritual powers serve him as their real 
master. Whatever he says Is sure to come 

to pass. He never utters a word in vain. 
166 



Was Christ a Yogi *? 

If he says to a distressed or suffering per- 
son, " Be thou whole," instantly that per- 
son will become whole. 

The powers of a true Yogi are unlimited, 
there is nothing in the world that he can- 
not do. Indeed, he alone has free access 
to the storehouse of infinite powers; but 
he never draws therefrom any force merely 
to satisfy idle curiosity, or to gratify selfish 
motives, or to gain wealth and fame, or to 
get any return whatsoever. He does not 
seek worldly prosperity, and always re- 
mains unconcerned about the result of his 
works. Praise or censure does not disturb 
the peace of his mind. Angels or bright 
spirits and the spirits of ancestors rejoice 
in his company and adore him. A true 
Yogi is worshipped by all. Having neither 
home nor possessions of his own, he 
wanders from place to place, realizing that 

the canopy of heaven is the roof of his 
167 



How to be a Yogi 

world-wide home. He is easily pleased by 
everybody irrespective of his caste, creed, 
or nationality, and with a loving heart he 
blesses those who rebuke or curse him. If 
his body be tortured or cut in pieces, he 
takes no revenge, but, on the contrary, 
prays for the welfare of his persecutor. 
Such is the character of a true Yogi. 

From ancient times there have been 
many such true Yogis in India and other 
countries. The descriptions of their lives 
and deeds are furthermore as wonderful 
and as authentic as the life and acts of that 
illustrious Son of Man who preached in 
Galilee nearly two thousand years ago. 
The powers and works of this meek, gen- 
tle, and self-sacrificing Divine man, who is 
worshipped throughout Christendom as 
the ideal Incarnation of God and the 
Saviour of mankind, have proved that he 

was a perfect type of one who is called in 
168 



Was Christ a Yogi *? 

India a true Yogi. Jesus the Christ has 
been recognized by his disciples and fol- 
lowers not only as an exceptionally unique 
character but as the only-begotten Son of 
God ; and it is quite natural for those who 
know nothing about the lives and deeds of 
similar ideal characters of great Yogis and 
Incarnations of God w^ho have flourished 
at different times both before and after the 
Christian era, to believe that no one ever 
reached such spiritual heights or attained 
to such realization of oneness with the 
Heavenly Father as did Jesus of Nazareth. 
The greater portion of the life of Jesus 
is absolutely unknown to us ; and as He 
did not leave behind Him any systematic 
teaching regarding the method by which 
one may attain to that state of God-con- 
sciousness which He Himself reached, 
there is no way of finding out what He did 

or practiced during the eighteen years that 
169 



How to be a Yogi 

elapsed before His appearance in public. 
It is, therefore, extremely difficult to form 
a clear conception of what path He 
adopted. But we can imagine that, being 
born with unusually developed spiritual in- 
clinations, He must have devoted his life 
and time to such practices as led Him to 
the realization of absolute Truth and to 
the attainment of divine consciousness, 
which ultimately gave Him a place among 
the greatest spiritual leaders of the world 
as well as among the disinterested Saviours 
of mankind. 

India is the only country where not only 
a 'complete system of practices is to be 
found, but also a perfect method, by fol- 
lowing which well-qualified aspirants can 
attain to Christhood or to that spirit- 
ual unfoldment and divine enlightenment 
which made Jesus of Nazareth stand be- 
fore the world as the Ideal type of spiritual 
170 



Was Christ a Yogi? 

perfection. By studying the hves, the acts, 
and the most systematic and scientific 
teachings of the great Yogis of India, and 
by faithfully following their example and 
precepts, an earnest disciple can, through 
the Yoga practices given in the various 
branches of the Vedanta philosophy, hope 
some day to become as perfect as the Son 
of Man. This assurance must be a com- 
fort and a consolation to the soul that is 
struggling for the attainment of spiritual 
perfection in this life. One peculiarity, 
however, of the teachings of the great 
Yogis of India is that the acquirement of 
spiritual perfection is the goal for all, and 
that each individual soul is bound, sooner 
or later, to be perfect even as Christ was 
perfect. They claim that spiritual truths 
and spiritual laws are as universal as the 
truths and laws of the material world, and 

that the realization of these truths cannot 
171 



How to be a Yogi 

be confined to any particular time, place, 
or personality. Consequently by studying 
the Science of Yoga anyone can easily un- 
derstand the higher laws and principles, an 
application of which will explain the mys- 
teries connected with the lives and deeds 
of saints, sages, or Incarnations of God, 
like Krishna, Buddha, or Christ. 

A genuine seeker after Truth does not 
limit his study to one particular example, 
but looks for similar events in the lives of 
all the great ones, and does not draw any 
conclusion until he has discovered the uni- 
versal law which governs them all. For 
instance, Jesus the Christ said, " I and my 
Father are one." Did He alone say it, or 
did many others who lived before and 
after Him and who knew nothing of 
His sayings, utter similar expressions ? 
Krishna declared, " I am the Lord of the 

universe." Buddha said, " I am the Abso- 
172 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

lute Truth." A Mahometan Sufi says, " I 
am He " ; while every true Yogi declares, 
" I am Brahman." So long as we do not 
understand the principle that underlies 
such sayings, they seem mysterious to us 
and we cannot grasp their real meaning; 
but when we have realized the true nature 
of the individual soul, and its relation to 
the universal Spirit, or God, or Father in 
Heaven, or the Absolute Truth, we have 
learned the principle and there is no fur- 
ther mystery about it. We are then sure 
that whosoever reaches this state of spirit- 
ual oneness or God-consciousness will ex- 
press the same thought in a similar man- 
ner. Therefore if we wish to understand 
the character and miraculous deeds of 
Jesus of Nazareth, the surest way open to 
us is the study of the Science of Yoga and 
the practice of its methods. 

This Science of Yoga, as has already 
173 



How to be a Yogi 

been stated, explains all mysteries, reveals 
the causes 6f all miracles, and describes the 
laws which govern them. It helps us to 
unravel the secrets of nature and to dis- 
cover the origin of such phenomena as are 
called miraculous. All miracles like " walk- 
ing on the sea," " feeding a multitude with 
a small quantity of food," *' raising the 
dead," which we read of in the life of Jesus, 
are described by the Yogis as manifesta- 
tions of the powers that are acquired 
through long practice of Yoga. These 
powers are not supernatural; on the con- 
trary, they are in nature, are governed by 
natural though higher laws, and are there- 
fore universal. When these laws are un- 
derstood, that which is ordinarily called 
miraculous by Ignorant people, appears to 
be the natural result of finer forces work- 
ing on a higher plane. There Is no such 

thing as the absolutely supernatural. If 
174 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

a person's conception of nature be very 
limited, that which exists beyond that Hmit 
will seem to him supernatural, while to 
another, whose idea of nature is broader, 
the same thing will appear perfectly nat- 
ural; therefore that miracle, or that par- 
ticular act which is classed as a miracle by 
a Christian, can be explained by a Yogi 
as the result of higher or finer forces of 
nature. Why? Because his conception of 
nature is much wider than that of an ordin- 
ary man. We must not forget that nature 
is infinite, and that there are circles within 
circles, grades beyond grades, planes after 
planes, arranged in infinite succession ; and 
the desire of a Yogi is to learn all the laws 
which govern these various planes, and to 
study every manifestation of force, whether 
fine or gross. His mind is not satisfied 

with the knowledge of one particular plane 
176 



How to be a Yogi 

of existence ; his aim is to comprehend the 
whole of nature. 

Those who have read the gospel of 
Buddha, by Paul Carus, will remember 
that, five hundred years before the birth of 
Jesus the Christ, Shariputra, Buddha's 
illustrious disciple, walked on the surface 
of the water across a mighty river named 
Shravasti. A similar account of crossing a 
wide river by walking on the water, we 
find in the life of Padmapada, the disciple 
of Sankaracharya, the best exponent of the 
Vedanta philosophy, who lived about 600 
A.D. Krishna, the Hindu Christ, whose 
other name is Lord of the Yogis, raised 
the dead nearly fourteen hundred years 
before the advent of Christ. The trans- 
figuration of Krishna is likewise most 
beautifully described in the tenth and 
eleventh chapters of the " Song Celestial," 

and, like Christ, he also fed a vast multi- 
176 



Was Christ a Yogi? 

tude of people with a small quantity of 
food. There are other instances of similar 
powers shown by great Yogis who came 
later; and these accounts are in every 
way as historical and as authentic as those 
of Jesus the Christ. Thus we see that all 
the miracles performed by Jesus are to be 
found as well in the lives of Hindu Yogis, 
who lived both before and after Him. 

So long as an event is isolated it ap- 
pears supernatural and miraculous; but if 
we see the same thing happening elsewhere 
under similar conditions, it assumes the as- 
pect of a natural occurrence governed by 
natural law, and then comes a proper solu- 
tion of the mystery as well as the 
rational explanation of that which was 
called a miracle. It is in this that the 
Science of Yoga renders especial service to 
the world, for more than any science it 

helps to reveal the secrets of nature and 
177 



How to "be a Yogi 

to explain the causes of all miraculous 
deeds. 

A true Yogi goes to the source of all 
power and of all forces, studies the laws 
behind them, and learns the method of 
controlling them. He knows that the 
various forces of nature are but expres- 
sions of one universal, living, intelli- 
gent energy, which is called in Sanskrit 
" Prana." He sees that all the forces of 
physical nature, like heat, gravitation, 
electricity, as also all mental forces such as 
mind, intellect, thought, are nothing but 
the manifestations of that one living self- 
existent force, " Prana." This intelligent 
energy projects from its bosom innumer- 
able suns, moons, stars, and planets into 
physical space. It has hurled this eartli 
from the molten furnace of the sun, it has 
cooled it, bathed it in air and water, and 

clothed it with vegetable and animal life; 
178 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

santly for the good of His fellow-men, 
directing them to the path of righteousness 
and spiritual realization through unselfish 
works. He understood the law of action 
and reaction, which is the fundamental 
principle of Karma Yoga, and it was for 
this reason that He declared, " Whatso- 
ever a man soweth, that shall he also 
reap," 

Jesus of Nazareth proved Himself tO' be 
a great Bhakti Yogi, a true lover of God, 
by His unswerving devotion and His whole- 
hearted love for the Heavenly Father. His 
unceasing prayers, incessant supplications, 
constant meditation, and unflinching self- 
resignation to the will of the Almighty 
made Him shine like a glorious morning- 
star in the horizon of love and devotion of 
a true Bhakti Yogi. Christ showed won- 
derful self-control and mastery over His 

mind throughout the trials and sufferings 
181 



How to be a Yogi 

which were forced upon Him. His sorrow, 
agony, and self-surrender at the time of 
His death as well as before His crucifixion, 
are conclusive proofs that He was a human 
being with those divine qualities which 
adorn the soul of a true Bhaktl Yogi. It 
is true that His soul labored for a while 
under the heavy burden of His trials and 
sufiferings; it is also true that He felt that 
His pain was becoming wellnigh unbear- 
able when He cried aloud three times, 
praying to the Lord, " O my Father, if it 
be possible, let this cup pass from me." 
But He found neither peace nor consola- 
tion until He could absolutely resign His 
will to that of the Father and could say 
from the bottom of His heart, " Thy will be 
done." Complete self-surrender and abso- 
lute self-resignation are the principal vir- 
tues of Bhakti Yoga, and as Christ pos- 
sessed these to perfection up to the last 
182 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

moment of His life, He was a true Bhakti 
Yogi. 

Like the great Raja Yogis in India, 
Jesus knew the secret of separating His 
soul from His physical shell, and He 
showed this at the time of His death, 
while His body was suffering from ex- 
treme pain, by saying, " Father, forgive 
them, for they know not what they do." It 
is quite an unusual event to see one im- 
ploring forgiveness for his persecutors 
while dying on the cross, but from a Yogi's 
point of view it is both possible and nat- 
ural. Ramakrishna, the greatest Yogi of 
the nineteenth century, whose life and say- 
ings have been written by Max Miiller, was 
once asked, " How could Jesus pray for 
His persecutors when He was in agony on 
the cross? " Ramakrishna answered by 
an illustration : " When the shell of 

an ordinary green cocoanut is pierced 
183 



How to be a Yogi 

through, the nail enters the kernel of the 
nut too. But in the case of the dry nut 
the kernel becomes separate from the 
shell, and so when the shell is pierced, the 
kernel is not touched. Jesus was like the 
dry nut, i.e.. His inner soul was separate 
from His physical shell, and consequently 
the sufferings of the body did not affect 
him." * Therefore He could pray for the 
forgiveness of His persecutors even when 
His body was suffering; and all true Yogis 
are able to do the same. There have been 
many instances of Yogis whose bodies 
have been cut into pieces, but their souls 
never for a moment lost that peace and 
equanimity which enabled Jesus to forgive 
and bless His persecutors. By this Christ 
proved that, like other Yogis, His soul was 
completely emancipated from' the bondage 

* See "The Life and Sayings of Ramakrishna, " by 
Prof. F. Max Miiller. Published by Charles Scribners' Sons, 
New York. P. iii. 

184 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

of the body and of the feeHngs. Therefore 
Christ was a Yogi. 

Through the path of devotion and love 
Jesus attained to the reaUzation of the one- 
ness of the individual soul with the Father 
or the Universal Spirit, which is the ideal 
of a Jnana Yogi as well as the ultimate goal 
of all religions. A Jnana Yogi says : " I 
am He " ; "I am Brahman " ; "I am the 
Absolute Truth " ; " I am one with the Su- 
preme Deity." By good works, by devo- 
tion, love, concentration, contemplation, 
long fasting, and prayer, Jesus the Christ 
realized that His soul was one with God, 
therefore He may be said to have attained 
the ideal of Jnana Yoga. 

Like Krishna, Buddha, and all other 

great Yogis of India, Jesus healed the sick, 

opened the eyes of the blind, made the 

lame walk, and read the secret thoughts of 

His disciples. He knew exactly what Judas 
185 



How to be a Yogi 

and Peter were going to do ; but there 
was nothing supernatural in any of His ac- 
tions, there was nothing that cannot be 
done again over and over by a true Yogi, 
and there was nothing in His life that 
cannot be explained rationally by the 
Science of Yoga and the Philosophy of 
Vedanta. Without the help of this science 
and this philosophy Jesus the Christ can- 
not be fully understood and appreciated. 
By studying His character, on the other 
hand, in the light of the Vedanta Phil- 
osophy we shall be able not only to under- 
stand Him better, but to have a larger 
appreciation of His true glory. 

Material science now scofifs at His 
miracles, but they are corroborated by the 
Science of Yoga and confirmed by the 
deeds of the great Yogis of India. No 
devout Christian need for a moment fear 

that physical science can ever undermine 
186 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

the work of Jesus so long as the Science 
of Yoga is there to sustain all that He did. 
Let him study the character of Jesus 
through the Philosophy of Vedanta and I 
am sure that he will understand Him bet- 
ter and be a truer Christian, a more 
genuine disciple of the Son of Man than 
ever before. Let him follow the teach- 
ings of Yoga and he will some day be- 
come perfect like Christ. 

It is through the teachings of Vedanta 
that the Hindus have learned how to 
glorify the character of Jesus ; so also it is 
through Vedanta that a Christian wih learn 
to adore the great Yogis like Krishna, 
Buddha, Ramakrishna, and others. It is 
through Vedanta that a Christian will be 
able to see how Divinity dwells in all 
animate and inanimate objects, and thus 
comprehending the true relation of the 

individual soul to the Supreme Spirit, 

187 



How to be a Yogi 

will be enabled to say with the great Yogi 

Jesus the Christ, " I and my Father are 

one," and reach salvation in this life. 
188 



Was Christ a Yogi ? 

it wings the atmosphere with clouds and 
spans the planes with rivers, it takes a fine 
minute substance and transforms it into 
something huge and gross; it moves the 
body, gives life and motion to every atom 
and molecule, and at the same time mani- 
fests itself as thought and intellect. 

Why should it be impossible for one who 
has realized his oneness with this fountain- 
head of all power, who has learned the 
method of controlling all phenomena by 
comprehending the laws which govern 
them, and who has become the master of 
the world as was Jesus the Christ, to per- 
form simple phenomena like walking on 
the sea, turning water into wine, or raising 
the dead ? According to a true Yogi these 
acts of Jesus the Christ were only a few ex- 
pressions of the Yoga powers which have 
Keen exercised over and over again by the 

Yogis in In'dia. Thus we understand that 
179 



How to be a Yogi 

Christ was one of these great Yogis born 
in a Semitic family. 

Jesus was a great Yogi because He 
realized the transitory and ephemeral nat- 
ure of the phenomenal world, and, dis- 
criminating the real from the unreal, re- 
nounced all desire for worldly pleasures 
and bodily comforts. Like a great Yogi 
He lived a life of seclusion, cutting off all 
connections with earthly friends and rela- 
tives, and having neither home nor posses- 
sions of His own. 

Jesus the Christ was a great Karma 
Yogi, because He never worked for re- 
sults ; He had neither desire for name nor 
ambition for fame or for earthly pros- 
perity. His works were a free offering to 
the world. He labored for others, devoted 
His whole life to help others, and in the 
end died for others. Being unattached to 

the fruits of His actions. He worked inces- 
180 



Publications of The Vedanta Society. 

WORKS BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA. 



Philosophy of Work. 

I. Philosophy of Work. 
II. Secret of Work. 
III. Duty or Motive in Work. 

Paper, 35 cents. Cloth, 50 cents. Postage, 2 and 6 cents. 



Christian Science and Vedanta. 

Price, 10 cents. Postage, i cent. 



Woman's Place in Hindu Religion. 

This lecture will correct many of the erroneous ideas which 
Christian missionaries have spread abroad regarding the condi- 
tion of Hindu women. In it the Swami gives the real causes of 
child marriage, the burning of widows, and other social evils 
which arose in certain parts of India. 

Bishop Potter writes : " Believe me, it is not of the smallest 
consequence what I have to say on the subject, but rather what 
they who are accused of such a custom have to say. And here 
again I summon the accomplished gentleman and scholar, who 
has already testified, Swami Abhedananda, In the address, 
' Woman's Place,' from which I have already quoted and which 
I have yet to see challenged, he says. . . ." — The Churchman, 
Nov. 9, 1901. 

" It is an able survey of the rights of Indian womanhood from 
the Vedic down to the latest period of Hindu literature and his- 
tory, and furnishes the most complete answer to those who ac- 
cuse Hinduism of having denied the dignity and moral worth of 
woman. . . . The learned Swami makes out by an unassailable 
array of authorities that the idea of equality of man and woman 
is the corner-stone of religion among the Hindus." — Indian 
Review, Sept., 1901. 



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VEDANTA PUBLICATION COMMITTEE, 
102 East 58th Street, New York. 



Publications of The Vedanta Society. 



WORKS BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA. 



Spiritual Unfoldment. 

I. Self-control. 
II. Concentration and Meditation. 
III. God-consciousness. 

Paper, 25 cents. Cloth, 40 cents. Postage, 2 and 5 cents. 

" This attractive little volume comprises three lectures on the VedSnta 
Philosophy. The discourses will be found vitally helpful even by those 
who know little and care less about the spiritual and ethical teachings of 
which the SwSmi is an able and popular exponent. As the Vedanta itself 
is largely a doctrine of universals and ultimates, so also is this book of 
common utility and significance among all races of believers. Its precepts. 
are susceptible of application by any rational thinker, regardless of relig- 
ious predilection and inherited prejudices. The principles set forth by 
this teacher are an excellent corrective of spiritual bias or narrowness, and 
as such the present work is to be commended. It has already awakened 
an interest in Oriental literature that augurs well for the cause of human 
brotherhood, and it merits a wide circulation among all who cherish ad- 
vanced ideals." — Mind, April, igo2. 

Reincarnation. 

I. Reincarnation. 
II. Evolution and Reincarnation. 
III. Which is Scientific, Resurrection or Reincam- 
carnation ? 

Paper, 25 cents. Cloth, 40 cents. Postage, 2 and 5 cents. 

" In these discourses the SwSmi Abhedananda considers the questions' 
of evolution and the resurrection in their bearing upon the ancient teach- 
ing of rebirth, the truth, logic and justice of which are rapidly permeating 
the best thought of the Western world. For the preservation of this doc- 
trine mankind is indebted to the literary storehouses of India, the racial 
and geographical source of much of the vital knowledge of Occidental 
peoples. Reincarnation is shown in the present volume to be a universal 
solvent of life's mysteries. It answers those questions of children that 
have staggered the wisest minds who seek to reconcile the law of evolution 
and the existence of an intelligent and just Creator, with the proposition 
that man has but a single lifetime in which to develop spiritual self-con- 
sciousness. It is commended to every thinker." — Mind, February, igoo^ 



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102 East 58th Street, New York. 



Publications of The Vedanta Society. 



NEW BOOK BY SWAMI VIVEKAMNDA. 

Jnana Yoga. 

356 Pages. Cloth, ^1.50. Postage, 11 cents. 



Lectures 

BY SWAMI ABHEDANANDA. 

The Way to the Blessed Life. 
Scientific Basis of Religion. 
Cosmic Evolution and its Purpose. 
The Philosophy of Good and Evil. 
Does the Soul Exist after Death ? 
The Relation of Soul to God. 
The Word and the Cross in Ancient India. 
The Motherhood of God. 
Why a Hindu is a Vegetarian. 
Religion of the Hindus. 
Divine Communion. 
Who is the Saviour of Souls ? 
Woman's Place in Hindu Religion. 
Why a Hindu accepts Christ and Rejects 
Christianity. 

10 cents each. Postage, i cent each. 



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VEDANTA PUBLICATION COMMITTEE, 

102 East 58th Street, New York. 



Works on Vedanta Philosophy 

BY SWAMI VIVEKANANDA. 



Raj a- Yoga. 

376 Pages, bound, $1.50. Postage, II cents. 

Karma- Yoga. 

(8 lectures) bound. New and revised edition, $1.00. 
Postage, 7 cents. 

My Master. 

Bound, 50 cents. Postage, 6 cents. 



The Vedanta Philosophy. 

An Address before the Graduate Philosophical Society of 
Harvard College, with Introduction by Prof. C. C. 
Everett. 15 cents. Postage, 2 cents. 

The Ideal of a Universal Religion. 

The Cosmos. 

The Atman. 

The Real and Apparent Man. 

Bhakti Yoga. 

World's Fair Addresses. 

10 cents each. Postage, i cent each. 



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102 East 58th Street, New York. 



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